Last Straw
by Unleashed Reasoning
Summary: Betrayal, separate identities, and a chase for Shego! Kim's saving the day, but its not for GJ! Nothing's what it seems!
1. News

-1

(I was gonna say somethin', but I've forgotten what it was. Anywho, this is my story, read it if you wish. Just let me know what you think of it later. All that counts is I had fun writing it!)

Chapter 1

She stands completely still. She doesn't seem to be breathing, and she isn't blinking at all. Her eyes are locked on something Ron can't see, though it wasn't for lack of trying.

"KP?" he asks, sounding a little unsure. He waves a hand in front of her face. He'd been calling her for a good twenty minutes now. He figures he should have expected this response, but he honestly couldn't fathom why it seemed to hit her so hard. After all, HE knew how Kim doubted things. She had confessed it to him numerous times late at night when doubts plagued her the most. SHE had said she didn't think things were going like they should. But SHE, was looking like he had just kicked her in the gut and stolen everything of value right before her eyes. "KP! Talk to me dang it!" he shouts. He doesn't even see her flinch. "Wade!" he cries into the kimmunicator. "Help me out man!"

Wade sighs, looking at Kim's shell-shocked face.

"Kim," he says gently. "There's more."

That remark causes a tremor to run visibly through Kim's body. Her lip trembles as she tries to speak.

"W-what else?" she barely chokes out. Wade sighs again.

"I found out what the deal GJ had with Shego was. Apparently, Dr. Director promised to drop all of Shego's charges if Shego agreed to return the price amount of stolen goods she had taken. Dr. Director was tallying other villains' inventions and bounties and adding it up as Shego's sum. She also promised that the deal would be kept under wraps so none of the villains would decide to take revenge on Shego for what she was doing. They expect their own to turncoat on them, but never for the side of good. You can imagine why Shego expected silence on GJ's side. Just curious, I tallied the price Dr. Director told Shego to the actual amount in her warrant. Dr. Director got her money five times over what Shego owed."

Wade notices Kim's jaw clench. Ron is starting to fidget, keeping a wary eye on Kim.

"And?" Ron dares ask. Wade doesn't look at Ron, but continues talking while looking directly into Kim's eyes.

"Shego finally confronted Dr. Director over how much she'd been stealing from her ex-partners in crime. I found out that the conversation ended with Shego storming out of the room and Dr. Director telling Will that they would be contacting Shego about another case that very afternoon." Wade pauses, wishing he didn't have to say more.

"Wade, what happened to Shego?" Kim asks in a near whisper. Wade frowns, brow creased in worry.

"Kim…" He sighs and clears his throat. "Dr. Director was the one to blow the whistle. She contacted the media and had one of her hired Faces to spread the word of Shego's heroic exploits for GJ. It was on every news headline in the world." Wade winces at Kim's growing scowl.

"Dr. Director did… what?"

"She called Shego out publicly. She even had her Face read off a list of everything Shego had 'recovered'. You can imagine what kind of riot that caused in the villain world. I found some websites full of slander and death threats. If GJ hadn't blown the whistle, Shego would be scott-free. As it is, Shego didn't even have time to go into hiding before she was kidnapped. I can only guess at which villain got her first. All of them lost something to her 'recoveries'." He stops to take in Kim's reaction. "Kim…" Asking her if she's okay would be ridiculous. The answer is written all across her face. Slowly, as if trying to make up his mind, Wade speaks up again. "Kim, what do you want me to do?"

Ron is dancing from foot to foot, the look on Kim's face has him nervous, and for good reason.

Kim's face, which had been empty and hollowed moments before, looks like the devil's worst nightmare come to life. She's letting anger fuel her pain. She lets it cover up the empty and lost feeling that had her paralyzed just minutes earlier. In a breath, realization struck, making her anger burn all that much hotter, slowly growing until even Wade is looking nervous.

Before, everything had been a game. She was waltzing to a dance that felt more like tradition then any emotional attachment she had. Grant it, she was trying, trying to find out if she had any chance of returning even a smidgen of the love she was receiving. Still, it seemed more a rehearsed play then anything real. She didn't think she felt anything for her arch nemesis other then respect. But, with the news that Shego had been abducted from her apartment, Kim had the very unsettling feeling of the world dropping out beneath her then have it leap back up and swat her like a bug, leaving her breathless and numb. The pain that tore her heart out of her chest and left her fearing she wouldn't be able to breathe again frightened her to the core… and also served the purpose of proving to her that she did indeed have feelings for the green skinned woman, feelings far deeper then she ever imagined.

She lets her burning gaze focus back on Wade.

"I'm paying Betty a visit," she says flatly. Wade straightens in his seat, his seemingly younger age washed away as he looked at her smartly, ready for orders.

"What do you need me to do?" he asks. He had always backed Kim, no matter the circumstance. He's on her side alone, be that where ever or whatever she chose it to be.

"Get me in." she answers simply.

--Flashback--

_Kim was in another one of Drakken's lairs. Habit was what kept her body moving in the dance that was supposed to be a fight. Shego seemed oddly distracted, something that seemed to be happening more and more._

_"What's the matter?" Kim taunted. "Am I pressing you too hard, or are you slacking off?"_

_To her shock, Shego didn't seem to hear the remark at all. It made her frown. She landed a good kick to Shego's stomach, sending the woman flying back into Drakken's newest invention. Luck would have it, it crushed the invention and ended the so called "fight"._

_Kim relaxed her fighting stance, frowning when the green skinned woman didn't get up. She could hear Drakken ranting across the room about another foiled plan. Kim ignored him and walked over to the prone figure lying in the heap of broken machinery._

_"Shego?" she called hesitantly. The black haired woman grunted. Kim's frown deepened. "Shego, what's wrong with you?"_

_She hadn't meant for that to be what she said, but she found it out of her mouth before she could stop it. She was even more shocked when Shego sighed._

_"You're what's wrong, Princess." Shego slowly sat up, her face looking oddly drawn._

_"What do you mean?" After a pause, she continued. "I mean, aside from always kicking your butt and stopping Drakken's latest scheme."_

_That did manage to bring a normal chuckle from Shego. Sadly, it didn't last long._

_"Look Princess, I just have a lot on my mind, so drop it."_

_That answer didn't suit Kim at all. After all, arch nemesis's were supposed to keep you on your toes. But, if that said nemesis was out in la-la land with whatever seemed to be troubling her, it didn't really make much for a fight. Kim sighed. She was a little irked, for this had been happening for a while now. Having so lost that amount of patience, her retort was a little bit more tart._

_"Enough with the bull. What's really wrong?"_

_Shego started in surprise, blinking a few times before smirking at Kim._

_"Aw, I didn't know you cared."_

_"If your fighting stays as lame as it has been for the past few fights, I'm going to have to go find a new arch nemesis. I don't see many filling that role." Kim crossed her arms and gave the woman a hard stare._

_"My, my, I think I'm rubbing off on you."_

_Kim rolled her eyes._

_"Don't flatter yourself." She frowned again. "But I'm serious. What's got you all spacey?"_

_Shego frowned._

_"I already told you." Shego rolled her eyes at Kim's impatiently tapping foot. "You!" she clarified. Kim threw her hands up in the air._

_"What about me?!" she demanded. "You're not making any sense!"_

_A small teasing smile worked its way onto Shego's face._

_"What if I said I thought you were hot and I wanted to take you out on a date?" _

_Kim's jaw almost dropped. After staring blankly at Shego for several seconds, she recovered enough to snort._

_"And why would I take you seriously?" she asked._

_"What, you want me to drop villainy?" asked Shego._

_"It would be a start," answered Kim, thinking the green skinned woman was toying with her. Shego huffed and pouted, startling Kim again at her odd behavior._

_"But it pays so WELL," she retorted, a slight whine to her voice. Kim could only stare. After a minute of not receiving an answer, Shego huffed again and got to her feet. "Fine, I'll prove it."_

_Kim blinked as Shego marched right over to where Drakken was still arguing with Ron and tapped the blue man on the shoulder._

_"What is it?!" he shouted, clearly not expecting to turn and find Shego right in his face. "Oh! Shego!"_

_He was about to say more, but Shego cut him off._

_"Dr. D, I'm quitting. Consider this my last job. Send my money to my account." With that said, she returned back to Kim and stopped in front of her. "There. I quit."_

_Kim's jaw managed to drop this time._

_"You're kidding, right? I mean, just like that?" Kim snapped her fingers in emphasis. Shego merely shrugged._

_"Just like that. I'm done."_

_Kim shook her head._

_"But, it can't be that easy! I mean, you still have a warrant out for your arrest!"_

_"I'll take care of it," answered the black haired woman._

_"But, but…" Kim was obviously still having problems digesting this. Though Shego found it amusing, she didn't want to stand there all day watching the girl gape. Shego slid forward until she was nearly pressed against Kim. With a sly smile, she looked down at Kim's bewildered face._

_"No buts Kimmie. I'm through. Now, are you going to say yes, or not?"_

_A slow blush worked its way up the hero's face. For the life of her, she really honestly didn't know if Shego was being serious. Though Drakken was screaming at Shego in earnest, the green skinned woman paid him no mind. Kim had no idea what to say._

--GJ--

The memory brings a small wistful smile to her face. It lasts only a moment before falling into a deep scowl. She pays Will's unconscious form no mind as she steps over him to get to Dr. Director's office. Around the room is a litter of GJ operatives that had gotten in her way. There had been a rumor that the news of Shego's disappearance would cause Kim some upset, but to see the righteous fury in her eyes as she stormed the place had them all trembling in their boots. As you can tell, it took little time for her to dispose of them.

She marches right into Dr. Director's office without so much as a word of warning. The old woman tries not to look stunned at the young woman's entrance, but you can see traces of it in the slack muscles of her jaw and wideness of her good eye.

"Miss Possible, what brings you to my office?" she asks, trying to ignore the fact all her people are strewn all over the place just outside her door. Kim frowns.

"Either GJ's skills are slacking, or you're being a tight ass again," retorts Kim, shocking Dr. Director more. "You announced to the media Shego's help retrieving stolen goods from villains to earn her freedom. You made the worth five times more then she ever stole, and played her emotions against her." Kim continued before Betty could speak. "You knowingly let this news slip without ever intending to keep your end of the bargain. And!" exclaims Kim, cutting Betty off again. "You got her captured by villains who are out for her head."

"Miss Possible, this-" starts Betty. Kim doesn't let her finish.

"You are going to correct your mistake by finding her and giving me what I need to rescue her. You will also," she said, silencing Betty a third time. "make true the deal you had by letting all her charges drop, AND paying her the difference for the extra sum of stolen goods she retrieved."

"I don't-"

"You WILL do as I say," says Kim, eyes burning dangerously. "Or I will show you why it's stupid to piss off a hero."

"Are you threatening me?" asks Betty in surprise.

"Take a look at what I did outside your office," retorts Kim, jerking a thumb over her shoulder. "I'm promising. I've played puppet long enough. I'll show you what I'm really made of now. I'm also done asking, cause you've proven how well I can trust you in that direction."

"Miss Possible!" shouts Betty, obviously furious at the insult.

"Shut up and listen," Kim says calmly but darkly. It makes a shiver of fear run up Betty's spine, and she's no pushover. "You're going to get everyone on your team to step up and find out who took Shego and where she's at. I mean that as in it should have been done yesterday. If I don't get results fast enough, I will provide proper incentives."

Betty snorts derisively.

"Incentives?" She rolls her eyes.

Kim looks ready to pounce as her eyes narrow. Betty feels oddly cornered.

"Oh, don't you know? I am the daughter of a rocket scientist. I can be quite… imaginative. If you really want to test me, either don't start working right away and twiddle your thumbs, or pretend I didn't come here at all. Either way, you will do what I say."

Betty's face is red with fury, but she's unable to utter a response.

Kim is still trying to process the reality of things. What had been only a 'play' before had become suddenly personal and real. And, before everything she'd come to cherish was taken from her for good, she was going to step up and make sure it stayed right where it was. She frowned at the Director as if her very presence disgusted her.

"You better start moving Betty," says Kim. She watches as the Director bristles under the disrespectful use of her first name. She ignores the Director and points to a wide screen that pops to life behind the Director's chair. "Wade will be keeping track of you and your dead line. He will inform me if you don't seem to be playing nice."

The young boy looks frighteningly serious.

"Where will you be?" the Director asks between clenched teeth.

"Strutting through the black market hot spot where all the villains gather. If I find her before you do, there will still be repercussions." Kim spins to walk out of the room. Betty is just about to make a hot retort after this new threat dealt her, when Kim spins on her heel and makes the Director choke on her words. "I'm taking your stealth jet, seeing as it's the fastest thing to Kuwait."

"Kuwait?!" Betty can't help her outburst. "The black market is in New York!"

Kim snorts derisively.

"Goes to show how much you know." She looks past Betty at the screen. "I need a disguise, Wade. A holo-image that would make me appear like someone else would be fantastic."

Wade smirks.

"I've got something better." He holds up a thick banded silver bracelet with a few buttons on the flat circle centerpiece, small square screen included. "This baby will actually physically alter you, so you will actually BE someone else."

Kim's eyes manage to glow with curiosity and excitement. The Director couldn't believe her ears. Such inventions hadn't even been diagrammed in her labs! How could Kim be privy to finished working inventions of such caliber?!

"You mean our parents finally got it figured out?" she asks earnestly. He grins.

"Yep. It's been tested too. It's mission ready, and I've been saving it for a special occasion." His smirk turns devious. "Not only will you be able to shock the heck out of your enemies, but you'll be able to send Shego for one hell of a loop!"

Kim couldn't help but laugh. She could have some fun with this new gadget.


	2. Black Market City

Two people enter the street. The sun is glaring down on their backs as they smoothly slide into the back alley and to a wooden door. The one in the lead knocks twice loudly. A peephole opens and a pair of eyes peer out and the strangers.

"Who is it?" demands the doorman. The lead person chuckles and removes the hood on their cloak. A young man with jet black hair that hangs in his eyes and just touches the bottom of his ears is revealed. He smirks in amusement at the doorman, a couple earrings hanging from his left ear and a stud in his right.

"Just a wanderer in the desert seeking intriguing company and idle conversation," the man says smoothly. He had the look of a sophisticated punk, a person ready to cause trouble whenever things seemed to get dull. His dark brown eyes calmly watch the doorman as the doorman's eyes flick to the taller second person.

"Whose your friend?" the doorman asks. A wide smile split's the man's tan face.

"My bodyguard. What else?"

The peephole slides shut, and the sudden creaking of locks and bolts being removed fills the silence of the alleyway. The door swings open, a brick wall of a man hunched just inside.

"Get on in 'ere then. They say there's some excitement brewing yonder." He jerks a thumb behind him.

The young man smiles, giving the doorman a two fingered salute.

"Thanks, guess we'll go see what it is."

Both figures enter the door and descend a stairway that curves up, rather then down. It spirals high, the many steps leading to a hallway that leads to a single elevator. The man goes to the elevator and pushes the button, humming a morbid song cheerfully.

"Haven't been here in a while," rumbles a deep voice behind him. He glances over his shoulder at the man accompanying him. The taller man removes his hood as well, revealing a square jaw and dark blue eyes. He frowns playfully, but it makes him look moody. He flicks a blond ponytail over his shoulder. "I've missed coming here."

The first man laughs.

"If anyone knew what we do in our spare time, our reputations would be ashes."

The blond man grins, and it still looks threatening.

"I wonder if our good ol' assassin gal is around today. I've been meaning to ask her on a date."

The black haired man breaks out into uproarious laughter, thumping the man beside him on the back.

"Oh, lord! When we first met her, I swore she wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this. But if you think about it, the place does seem logical. It would be the place for her to get business." He rubs his chin, a small square of a black beard graces it. "I'm shocked you didn't ask her sooner. Didn't you train under her?"

The blush the spreads across the big blonds face looks very out of place as he fidgets slightly.

"Of course, but you can't really ask a girl out when she's wiping the floor with your face." Again the first man bursts into laughter. The blond smiles upon hearing it. "It's good to see you laugh, Jay. You've been too serious of late."

Jay sobers a moment, watching the light tick away floor 24 and 25.

"Can you blame me?" he asks. "We are dealing with a serious matter."

The blond shrugs.

"I know, but if you think too hard about it, you're going to overlook something and end up with a bigger mess."

Jay gives the blond a sardonic grin.

"You always take me by surprise when you stop acting like a doofus and talk seriously. Is it any wonder no one ever gives you credit unless we come here?"

The blond grins broadly.

"Hey, it works well enough. They don't make the connection when we switch roles."

Jay laughs.

"True enough. They would be horrified at how 'crude' I am when they have their backs turned."

The blond lets out a deep rumbling laugh.

"No kidding. The little angel is actually a lil' devil in disguise!"

"And quite proud of it, Mac."

The elevator stops with a small cackle. The doors slide open to reveal they had indeed, gone down instead of up. Forty floors below the ground, the two men step out into seeming daylight. The artfully crafted holo-ceiling was sporting a brilliant sunny afternoon that lit up the entire city, a big contrast to the sandstorm raging outside. They walk briskly into the crowded streets in front of them, easily navigating it like a well known neighborhood. They call greetings to several familiar faces as they make their way to a popular pub at the heart of the city. As they step inside, they catch sight of a familiar Japanese woman making her way toward them. Mac's face lit up as soon as he saw her, which didn't seem like much on his gruff countenance. Jay gives her a small wave.

"Jay-san, Mac-san! Long time no see!" she says cheerily, a slight accent to her speech. Jay nods slightly while scanning the room for an empty booth of the low lit pub.

"We're here for some info," says Jay. The black haired assassin laughs.

"This would be the place to get it!" Her cheery openness is a great change from when they discovered how different it was from her personality when they first met. Down in this world, she is free to open up and let herself be a little more relaxed. Down here, if she isn't on the job, she is as carefree as a teenager. When she's up top, she's usually on a job, or she's hiding her identity, so she's more sober and tightlipped. Mac had found the change the most appealing. He easily warmed to her new hidden character, and, as he said before, was looking to ask her out on a date. Not that he hadn't been interested before, but he took both sides of the coin as the unique treasure it is.

Jay shakes his head.

"Actually, I was hoping you could help us out. Your network is a bit larger then ours, seeing as you spend more time down here." Jay spots a table and glances at his company. Mac is giving him a pleading look. The assassin is oblivious, waiting for Jay to tell her more about their quest. He waves a hand in the air. "Mac can tell you all about it. We'll cover more ground if we split up."

"Okay!" she says happily, grabbing Mac's arm to drag him through the crowd. Jay chuckles and heads to the bar instead. He tosses his cloak to a nearby server then takes a seat on a barstool. He scans the room, taking in the different patrons. The bartender comes over and places a mug of frothy liquid on the counter in front of Jay. Jay turns to grin at the barkeep.

"Thanks Gray. I've been needing one of your brews."

Gray nods, face impassive as stone.

"Looking for info?" asks Gray as he reaches to pull out another mug and fill it. He sends it flying down the counter to another patron. Jay grins.

"How'd you guess?"

Gray harrumphs.

"My brew is good, but not that good. You usually show up for information."

Jay laughs.

"Don't knock yourself. You're brew is the best I've had. But you're right. I need info."

Gray merely nods again, face still impassive.

"What you need word on?" he asks.

"I heard mention there's a thief among thieves," Jay says nonchalant. He feels several eyes focus on him. Gray takes a minute to answer.

"There was."

Jay feigns surprise.

"Really? I thought I heard wrong. After all, what ex thief would possibly side with GJ?"

"The stupid kind," someone mutters. Jay ignores them.

"So," he says, fiddling with a knife as he takes a long drink from the mug in front of him. "What happened to this thief?"

There were a few half baked notions that filled the air about death and prison, but Gray merely mutters something only Jay can hear.

"You can imagine their hard feelings. But, they'll soon be cheering. Word is, the thief was caught."

Jay pretends to be listening to the growing shouts of those around him, but he's only focused on the barkeep.

"And whose the lucky spider?" asks Jay, just loud enough for the barkeep to hear.

"Amundus, the Snake Charmer. You've dealt with him before." Gray subtly shakes his head. "You watch yourself with that one, Jay. Though you hold title of the Lone Wolf, he has made his title grow. Your last tangle left you near dead as it was."

Jay takes the warning in stride, face never changing from interested amusement.

"My title was earned with the end of the last Lone Wolf's kind passing of title. Though I know all titles come with such feats, I will come to prove the wolf can overcome the snake."

Gray pauses to look Jay square in the eye.

"Why are you going after him? I thought the last encounter left you with enough wits to leave each his own."

"Well, there is that score to settle, but I have a date with a former thief."

Gray gives him a measuring look.

"Be warned, there was no guarantee that this thief was to be with him long. I have a feeling he only was the delivery boy."

Jay scratches his chin, looking thoughtful.

"Then he must be delivering to someone even stronger." He beams at Gray's bearded face. "Thanks for the drink old man. Put it on my tab." He downs the rest of his drink then stands. His baggy worn jeans and loose button up black silk dress shirt look both dressy but rugged at the same time. His easy relaxed gait ends up taking him out into the streets to wander aimlessly and browse wares here and there. He ends up stopping at a building as flashy as some of the "entertainment" ones. He raps on the colorful door. It opens seconds later to reveal a robust woman who reaches out to squash Jay with a hug.

"Oh, Jay! We've been waiting for a visit!" She squeezes him extra tight before releasing him. "Come in, come in! I bet Glen will be ecstatic to see you!" As soon as they are safely within the confines of the home, she turns to glance at him as she leads him into a living room. "We've been waiting."

Glen stands from the couch and holds out his hand as soon as they enter. Jay takes it quickly, and they pump their hands in a friendly handshake.

"Glad to see you made it safely," he rumbles in a deep bass voice. "Figured you went out to explore a little before coming here." He waves at the couch. "My boy says you're on a treasure hunt."

Jay smiles.

"I am. It seems it will include dealing with the Snake again."

Glen's face darkens slightly.

"You're going to stir up trouble with him again?"

Jay's smile becomes slightly dark.

"It seems he stole something of value. For that he must pay. Be sure I'm not as untrained and wet behind the ears as I used to be. The Lone Wolf had more tricks up his sleeve then he was given credit." His smile suddenly brightens. "But what I'm more interested in is if my banker has been taking care of my money."

Glen smirks.

"Yeah, your banker has. Rightly invested in some good gadgets that even YOU can't find up top." He points a finger at the ceiling.

"Awesome! Do some of these gadgets happen to help a newly named thief enter a snake pit to gather info?"

"Bet you they do."

"Double awesome! Why don't you show me how they work? I feel the need to stretch my legs."

Glen gave him a long look but nodded.

"Don't come back in a body bag," he rumbles. At Jay's level gaze, he nods and wanders deeper into the house. "Come along then! Come see what pretties await!"

(have you guessed about the new characters? If you don't find the connection that means I'm doing a good job ;) and not to worry, everything will be revealed. You just have to bear with me a few more chapters.)


	3. Shego and her Plight

Shego cracks open an eye, her head feeling heavy and groggy. She spots a door, shadows passing in front of it. A pair of feet stop before it. Laughter rings around her.

"Seems you're semi conscious," says an oily voice. "I'm afraid you wont be for long. You're too much of a threat with those powers of yours to chance it."

Shego snorts inwardly, part of her glad she still remained a threat. The other part of her is wondering what the hell had happened. She barely makes out the outline of a cell. She turns her eye back to the door.

"You wont be here long, so there's no need to get comfortable. You're probably wondering what's going on. Seeing as you aren't going anywhere, I'll go ahead and let you in on that little info." The voice pauses to gloat. Shego would roll her eyes and snort if she could. "GJ was extremely kind in telling us of all your 'good little deeds', and you can imagine how happy we were with that news. I'm not the only one who went after you, but I am the one that got there first." She can feel the owner of the voice grin. "But, I'm just a delivery boy today. You'll be meeting up with an old friend soon enough."

Shego does manage a muffled snort this time, though she can't move or shift her position. She barely registers that she's on a bed of some sort, a blanket covering part of her chin as it pools over her shoulder for a corner to touch the floor. She also doesn't have her cat suit on any more. A single arm is hanging from the bed, her fingers barely grazing the cold metal floor. Shego can make out goose bumps up and down her arm. The voice speaks again, drawing her attention.

"Would it surprise you that someone has been inquiring about you?" it asks. The voice snorts. "It surprised me. After all, a person like you, what friends could you have?"

She can feel the cruel smile hit her like a slap. There's one person she could imagine that MIGHT try to save her. Shego feels her chest tighten as the image of a redhead passes through her thoughts. If she is going to meet who she thinks she is, she hopes the redhead hadn't developed any feelings for her and would leave well enough alone. Though it only makes her chest tighten more, she would rather the redhead stay away, just this once, and be safe. Shego snorts. As if her Princess can sit still that long. Even if Kimmie doesn't like her, she has that weird inner voice that wont let her turn her back on those in need. Part of her is heartbroken though, when the voice speaks again.

"You'll be surprised to know that Kim Possible has disappeared. I would imagine she's the only one stupid enough to try to find you. But, no one has seen her for days. No, the one I refer to is some punk whose been asking around about you." The voice grows cold, and Shego can now feel the person frown. "I don't think you'll know him. But he is a pest. He's gotten in my way a few times, but I figured he had learned his lesson last time we met, to stay away. He probably doesn't even care about you. He's probably out to try and get in my way once again." The voice snorts. "As if earning the title of Lone Wolf has gotten him anywhere. I'll show him how foolish it is to try his luck with snakes venom twice."

Shego's eyes widen slightly. She once had the privilege to meet the previous Lone Wolf. If this boy he spoke of was able to earn apprenticeship, the Snake would learn how viciously a wolf can fight. Oh yes, she knows of the under ground city. There isn't a famous villain who doesn't. The man before her also gave her more info, by naming himself as the snake. Though the Snake isn't one she wanted to tangle with, she had been utterly foolish to try her hand with the Wolf.

She thought she would be clever and earn a bit more glory to her name by stealing one of the Wolf's treasures. Sadly, the wolf seemed to be waiting for her. The old geezer had her fighting for her life and hadn't broken a sweat. When he had her cornered and exhausted, he sat down to tea with her, shocking the hell out of her. But, she wasn't really in a position to refuse. She would only admit it to one person, but she had great respect for the old coot, batty as he seemed. She's certain even Princess would like him.

The thought of Kim only brought more distress to her. Where's Kim? What happened to her? Did she get caught trying to find her? Shego wishes she could find answers to at least a few of those questions, but whatever they had drugged her with is certainly doing its job. She's utterly defenseless. If she manages to get out of this alive, she vows that GJ will pay for turning on her. NO ONE takes advantage of her. She growls softly.

"Ah, sounds like you're becoming too sensible. We'll have to give you another dose again." The man steps aside and someone enters the room. Try as she might, Shego isn't able to move to avoid the person or even give them a bit of grief. She is immobile as the person comes forward and sticks her with a needle. She winces, but says nothing. The person walks out and the door closes with a resounding clang. "Sleep tight, my mouse. This will probably be your last peaceful sleep."

He laughs and Shego's last conscious thoughts are listening to his footsteps as he walks away and wishing with all her might she could sling a good plasma round at him.

--Black Market City--

Jay stands looking up at the seemingly impenetrable building before him. A small smirk graces his lips as he eyes the building up and down. A hand lands on his shoulder. He turns to find Mac and the assassin standing there.

"Mac, Yori? What are you two doing here?"

Mac looks up at the building with a frown.

"You're not going in there alone."

Jay blinks.

"I can't well ask you to go," responds Jay. Yori shakes her head.

"You ask for too much danger, Jay-san. We go too." Yori's in her 'work' mode, serious and alert. "Mac told me what happened last time. With us, you'll get out alive."

Jay can't help but smirk.

"Even after I went to all that trouble to become the Lone Wolf? Can't well be Lone if you're helping me."

Mac's hand tightens on his shoulder.

"Jay, you're asking for too much trouble to go alone. As a friend, I won't let you do it without me. Not only would I risk losing you, but who you're fighting for will be lost too."

Jay frowns. If you look closely, you can see the pain hidden in his eyes.

"I really don't want you going, for the risk of either of you getting hurt." He glances back at them. "However, I should know well enough by now that you two can look after yourselves, and that you won't hesitate to follow me even if I tell you to stay put." He squares his shoulders. "Very well. Hope you all got your toys. We're about to become thieves."

Yori grabs his arm to halt him.

"Wait Jay-san. There's something you should know." She glances at Mac before continuing. "The change of cargo happens tonight. If we don't get her out, we wont get a second chance."

Jay's frown deepens.

"What do you mean?"

Mac sighs.

"Jay, Big White is going to be taking her. He's already announced her hanging in the public square tomorrow afternoon."

Jay visibly pales, hands clenching at his sides.

"Big White?" he whispers. Yori and Mac both nod. "Shit." He starts pacing in small circles. "Shit!" he repeats. "If White gets a hold of her…" he can't finish his statement. Mac grudgingly supplies the rest.

"She'd be better off dead. He's well known for his torture."

Jay's eyes light up in anger, his pacing stopping immediately.

"I will-not let that happen!" He turns to Yori and Mac. "I guess it's a good thing you came. We're going to have to speed things up a bit. I'll need your help for a distraction."

Yori frowns.

"Won't that be obvious?"

Jay smirks darkly.

"Your distraction will be to go straight for her cell. As they fight you back, I'll come in behind you, same route, and slip in while you keep them busy."

Mac blinks.

"The same route?" He guffaws. "That actually might work. No one goes in the same way twice."

"Exactly," says Jay. "I'm giving you twenty minutes to get every alarm ringing. If you don't have it going loud enough, I'm going to come roaring in behind you. If I don't signal you that I've got the girl, you swing back and nab her."

Mac frowns.

"What do you mean? You aren't going to confront Snake are you?"

Jay shrugs.

"I have a feeling he knows I've been asking around. I'm sure he's waiting for me. As soon as I'm sighted, he'll be all over me like flights on shit. Wiz will be on standby with a stealth jet. If I'm not there when you get there, take off."

Mac starts shaking his head, as does Yori.

"We-"

"I'm serious." interrupts Jay. "We don't have time to debate it. You can't chance getting caught if you stick around."

"Ten minutes." replies Mac. "No less. I don't care what you say. Ten minutes is how long it will take you to get from one end of his hideout to the other. If you aren't there, fine, we'll take off. I'm sure we can handle anyone who tries to stop us in that time."

Jay opens his mouth to argue, but the other two are looking at him firmly. He lets his mouth snap shut.

"Fine. Ten minutes." He looks up at the building. "Let's get thing's rockin'."

Mac and Yori nod. Mac turns to Yori and quickly places a light peck on her cheek.

"For good luck," he murmurs. She smiles and squeezes his hand. Without another word, both of them disappear. Jay waits in silence, glancing at his watch to check the time.

When shrill alarms start screaming through the darkness, Jay glances down at his watch to see it five minutes past. He grins. Things are a lot smoother when you got help this good. He watches as spotlights are turned on and hired help start filing out of barracks and rooms, filling the now awake building with activity. He lifts an eyebrow as two explosions fill the darkness with light and smoke. Several seconds later, two more go off. He shakes his head.

"Damn they're good," he mutters. He smirks, checking the time again. He can't help but chuckle. Ten minutes. He crosses his arms and waits. Three more explosions signal how close they're getting to their targets cell. Jay's eyes widen appreciatively. Yeah, it was damn good they had come along. They could probably take her without him even showing up. But that wasn't the plan. That, and if Snake decided he wasn't showing, he'd go after them himself. They would be caught if that happened. After two more explosions, Jay checks his watch. Twenty minutes. "Time for the second show."

He holds out his wrist and pushes a button. A small grapple shoots out and latches onto the roof. He pushes another button and is reeled up the wall. As soon as he reaches the roof, he crouches down into the shadows. Taking care to avoid spotlights, he makes his way silently across the roof, checking every now and then for signs of movement. He easily crosses to the backside of the building. Taking care to peek over the edge, he attaches his grapple again and slowly lowers himself down. Counting windows as he goes, he stops at the right one and pulls out another device. He holds it up to where the lock is. He pushes a button and the window unlocks. Slipping the end of the device's hooks under the window, he pries it up enough to slip his fingers under the edge and pull it open. He slips onto the window ledge and unhooks his grapple.

He holds out his wrist again and pushes a new button. A mist shoots out and floats to the ground. He smirks as the floor lights up with lasers. Seeing none above that, he aims his grapple again and fires at the ceiling. He swings over to the door and lands softly, not a laser disturbed. He pulls out another device and slips it under the door. Checking his wrist camera, he checks the hall to make sure it's empty. All but for the fire and debris from two of his comrades bombs, there is no one about. He opens the door and slips into the hall.

Making his way silently down the hall, he smirks appreciatively at all the chaos his comrades had committed. The hall is pocked with bullet holes and mini explosions. Several downed men are lying here and there, and there is no sign that anything had kept the two still for very long. It's cake walk to follow in their wake, amused at how easy it is. Alert, but moving swiftly, he makes it to a hole in the floor. He peers down to check for life then jumps into the hole. After falling for five floors, he shoots his grapple up into the air. After falling three more floors, the grapple catches and his fall slows until his feet gently touch the ground in four more levels. He grins. Shortcuts are so much fun. He removes his grapple to follow the trail of bodies through the hall.

"I knew you'd be coming," says a voice to his right. Jay stops in the center of an intersection. He smiles and slowly turns to face the voice.

"Snake." Jay's smile becomes vicious. "I was actually hoping to run into you. I was beginning to find this too easy."

Snake's eyes narrow. He stands in the center of the hall, a tall wisp of a man with a narrow face and small nose. His spindly fingers are clasping a cane before him, and he's wearing an expensive green suit.

"I'll admit your distraction was… ample. But, I knew you were just waiting to slip in behind them." Snake's yellow teeth gleam in the flicker of the flame beside him. His slicked back black hair and trimmed mustache glow with grease. He lifts his cane and grasps either end. Pulling harshly, he removes a sword hidden within. "I do presume you know you're not leaving here, correct?"

Jay merely grins, pulling out a small cylinder about eight inches in length with a flat circle disc on the front end, almost like a hand guard. He takes hold of the seeming hand guard and yanks it forward. An odd hiss fills the air, and a blade materializes, as if pulled from the small disc. Snake's eyes become slits, his jaw clenching. Jay slips the disc into a pocket and falls into a ready stance.

"Ready when you are," he says, sword shining threateningly in the firelight. Snake attacks, a tight arc sweeping up towards Jay. Jay brings his sword down and the blades clash loudly. Jay steps back and swings again, Snake bringing his blade up to parry. They exchange several blows, neither falling fate to a scratch. Snake is becoming frustrated. You can see it in his clenched jaw muscles and the tick of his right eye. He pulls back to swing again, only to have his blade deflected with ease.

He frowns darkly.

"It seems that Wolf taught you a few tricks," he hisses. Jay smirks, swinging swiftly with three tight strokes that send Snake back in retreat.

"A few," answers Jay. Snake scowls at the look of relaxation on Jay's face. He charges forward, sword dancing. Jay easily keeps pace, deflecting each strike. Sweat is just prickling Snake's brow. His face becomes dark with fury. He charges forward again, swinging downward. Jay locks blades with him. Snake smirks and releases the sword with one hand, whipping a pistol out from his sleeve. Jay's eyes widen.

BANG!

(mwahahahahahha! I love cliffies! don't you? runs from thrown projectiles)


	4. More then Strangers

Jay is on the ground, staring up. He grits his teeth, eyes narrowed. Snake takes a step back.

"Shit," says Jay. He frowns as blood pools on the floor. He looks back up at Snake. Snake staggers, dropping his gun and sword. He clutches his stomach. "I learned my lesson from last time," says Jay. "You lose."

Jay stands up, lowering the smoking gun in his hand. He slides his sword back into it's disc sheath. Snake's jaw works soundlessly for a moment.

"You… you shot me!" he exclaims, as if he still can't believe it. Jay shrugs.

"Like I said, I learned my lesson. Not all foes can be defeated without taking a life." Jay frowns. "It is an unsavory task, but I will commit it if I must." He salutes Snake with two fingers. "I have two minutes to make it to my rendezvous before I'm left behind, so I'll check you later."

Jay leaves Snake quivering on the ground. He races down the halls, counting doors and hallways as he passes. He comes to a sliding halt before an unmarked door. He smiles, taking his gun and shooting the lock. The door swings open. A slow smile spreads across his face. He crosses the room quickly and leans down to check the motionless figure for a pulse. His smile broadens when he finds one. He pulls out a vial from his pocket and tips back the woman's head. He lets the liquid in the vial trickle down the woman's throat. After a few seconds, the woman blinks, coughing slightly. She blurrily blinks at Jay.

"Who… who the hell are you?" she asks hoarsely. Jay grins, scooping the woman up in his arms, keeping the blanket securely around her.

"Not to worry, I'll get you out of here soon enough." He slips out into the hall. He pauses a moment, looking like he had just remembered something. He balances on one foot, his other leg held aloft to hold up the woman's knees. He holds up his wrist. "Call, Mac." he says. He wait's a moment. The screen on his watch flickers. Mac's face comes into view. "Hey Mac!" he grins at his watch. Mac rolls his eyes.

"Well? You got her?"

Jay grins broadly.

"Sure do!" He briefly flicks his wrist so Mac can catch sight of Shego. Mac grunts in approval.

"And Snake?" asks Mac. Jay's face darkens, his chipper mood suddenly vanishing.

"I… He's taken care of." answers Jay. Mac frowns. He forces himself to break the solemn silence.

"Hurry up. I hear White's on his way."

Jay nods.

"Cut connection," he orders. His watch's screen goes black. He slips his arm back under Shego's legs and continues on down the hall.

"Hey you! Halt!"

He takes off running. He dashes around a corner, still following the scattered bodies in the hall.

"I can run on my own!" grumbles Shego. Jay smirks at her.

"No you can't. That drug they gave you isn't out of your system yet." He smiles at Shego's unhappy growl.

"Who are you?" she asks again. Jay darts down another corridor, eyes flicking back and forth in wary lookout for more enemies.

"Your hero, it seems," he answers coyly. Shego glares at him. She starts squirming, but his hold on her tightens and keeps her put. "You really don't want to do that yet," he says. "They aren't far behind, and Big White doesn't like loosing his prey."

Shego stops struggling to stare at him.

"I was being sent to White?" she asks quietly. Jay glances down at her then flashes her a brilliant smile.

"You were." Jay hops over some debris. "Obviously you're in my care now." He comes to a window and crouches for a leap. He leans down to whisper in her ear. "And I promise you won't come to harm while you're with me."

It sends a involuntary shiver through Shego. She frowns darkly. Before she can say anything, Jay leaps, breaking through the glass and out into the open air. Shego's stomach leaps as they descend. She has to clench her teeth to hold back a startled yelp.

Jay stretches out his legs. Right as Shego turns to yell at him, a square opens up before them, and standing mid air, is Yori. Shego blanches. Yori steps aside and Jay lands smoothly on the floor. The door hisses shut behind them, and Jay turns to grin at Yori. Yori allows a small smile to grace her lips as she touches a device on her ear.

"We've got 'em Mac. Let's get out of here."

"Roger," comes the reply. Shego feels the aircraft dip and turn. Jay easily makes his way to the cockpit. Yori follows. Once they get there, Yori takes one of the two empty seats while Jay takes the other, Shego still in his arms.

Shego realizes she'd gripped his shirt when he'd jumped out that window. With a grimace, she untwines her fingers. From the three other people in the room, the only one she recognizes is Yori, a silent friend of Kim's she'd been introduced to once.

"What the hell is going on?" she growls. Jay smiles down at her, looking completely comfortable keeping her right where she is.

"We're rescuing you of course. Can't have those guys kill you, now can we?"

She frowns darkly.

"Why?"

"You'd be leaving someone behind," he answers cheerfully. Mac glances over his shoulder, and Yori chuckles. Shego just becomes more irked.

"What would you know about it?" she demands. Jay laughs.

"Calm down sweetheart, we'll explain once we're safe on our own turf." He looks up at Mac. "Which reminds me, how much longer?"

Mac glances down then looks over his shoulder.

"Five minutes tops. Wiz and his folks are waiting for us."

Jay looks down at Shego again.

"See? Five minutes babe. You'll have all your answers then."

Shego scowls, but seeing as she isn't in much power to fight, she can still feel the drug draining her strength, she remains silent.

Five minutes later, STILL in the buffoons arms, she finds herself in a circle of people she doesn't know. Jay is grinning madly, while the others just stare at him and his cargo in silence. Shego starts squirming again, scowling.

"Well?" she demands. "Where the hell are my answers?! And why the HELL are you still holding me?!"

Jay pauses to seemingly ponder that question. Furious, Shego struggles harder. Jay looks down at her and grins.

"That wont get you anywhere, but I guess I can't do anything with you there." He walks over to the couch and gently places her on it. He steps back to grin at her, hands on his hips. A tall young man sighs and shakes his head, his arms crossed over a muscular chest. His hair is in dreadlocks, a neatly trimmed line of a beard outlining his jaw. His brown eyes lock on Jay.

"Quit playing games and tell her what's going on."

Jay pouts.

"Aw, but I was having fun!"

Everyone gives him a hard look. He throws up his hands and sighs.

"Fine, fine. Mac, Wiz, get over here. I can't explain it right without your help."

Mac's tall frame steps forward, and the young man with the dreadlocks moves closer too.

"Well?" demands Shego, glaring at all of them.

"Don't faint on me, okay?" says Jay. He chuckles. "It would kill your rep."

She glares at him while her heart begins to beat a little faster.

"What are you talking about?"

"Weeeeeell," begins Jay. "I'm not who you think I am."

"I don't know who you are to begin with!" says Shego hotly.

"Right." Jay rubs his chin. "Okay, well, as you see me now, I'm Jay, a.k.a. the Lone Wolf." Jay jerks a thumb at Mac. "That's Mac." He points at the others as he calls their names. "That's Yori, Glen, Sheila, and Wiz. But," he continues. "Wiz, Mac, and I are known under different personas. Wiz here pretends to be a teen computer wiz, and goes by the name Wade."

Wiz hit's a button on his watch, and in a film of light, changes shape. When the light disappears, Wade is standing in his place. Wade grins.

"This is my disguise," he says. He presses the button again and changes back. Shego just stares. Jay draws her attention to Mac.

"And this big lug is actually half this size usually, but no less skilled. You usually identify him as the 'buffoon'."

Shego's eyes widen as Mac's form shifts in the same light to reveal Ron Stoppable.

"What the hell?!"

Ron chuckles.

"Nice to see you too. This is the real me, but I'm really not as stupid and clumsy as I make out to be."

Shego snorts.

"Really?" sounding obviously unconvinced. Ron huffs. He turns to Yori.

"Hit me!" he tells her. She blinks. Ron huffs again. "Hit me!" he repeats.

Yori shrugs. She steps forward. She looks at him then, almost quicker then the eye can see, sends a fist at him. He easily dodges. Slightly irritated she'd missed, she sends out a swift kick. He dodges to the side. Now slightly irked, she charges forward, fists swinging. Ron dodges and blocks, avoiding any kicks thrown in as extra.

Shego's eyes widen as she watches them practically dance around the room. Finally irritated, Yori picks up her pace and connects squarely with Ron's chin. Ron is sent flying across the room and into a wall. She huffs at him a second before she realizes what she's done. Blushing slightly, she rushes over to check on him.

"Ron-san?" she asks. He looks up at her, rubbing his chin.

"Man, you can still kick my ass," he says with a chuckle. She lets out a sigh of relief.

"You did tell me to hit you."

Ron smiles.

"Had to prove my point, didn't I?" he asks. He chuckles and stands up, brushing off the seat of his pants. He grins at Shego. "See? I'm not as worthless as you thought."

Shego rolls her eyes.

"Whatever."

Jay waves a hand in front of her face.

"Yo, you ready for the last shock?"

Shego lets her eyes slowly drag from Ron to Jay.

"Is it worse then the last one?" she asks darkly. Jay chuckles.

"Oh, definitely." He reaches for the button. He takes a deep breath… then stops. He looks sheepishly at the others. "Do I have to?"

Shego's eye twitches.

"Damn it! Stop stalling and just do it already! You're irritating the hell outta me!"

Everyone glares at him, and Shego looks ready to leap of the couch and strangle him. Chuckling nervously, he reaches for his watch again. He glances one more time at Shego. She catches the worry in his eyes before he looks away. It only serves to make her all that more confused, and she narrows her eyes.

"Don't hate me, okay?" he whispers just loud enough for Shego to hear. More loudly, "Okay, remember, don't faint." He pushes the button.

Shego finds herself holding her breath. Squinting against the light, Shego tries to make out the person slowly taking shape before her. The light disappears.

THUMP!

A soft female sigh fills the air.

"I told her not to faint." Kim Possible steps forward and brushes the hair away from Shego's face.

(mwahahahahahaha! Ok, I'm thinking u figured it out before I actually said it, but hey, I thought it was funny. Yeah, jay is kim. Mac is ron, and wiz is wade. Any other questions? Now, on with the show!)


	5. More Answers bring more Questions

Chpt 5

"What the hell?!" yells Shego. Kim had moved her to the spare bedroom. She told the others she would stick around until Shego woke, thinking it wouldn't be long. She had been right, she reflects. Shego didn't take long to wake up and start belting out questions.

Kim sighs, rubbing her forehead. She watches as Shego continues to work her way into a full tilt rant.

"Really?! What the hell is going on?! That was a MAN'S chest I felt! You rescued me from Snake?! You broke into his lair! His stronghold! Nobody has dared to do that! A MAN?!" Shego's eyes are frantically darting about the room, and Kim wonders if she'd finally got the woman to snap. Quickly squashing the near smile that had taken over her face, she manages to keep a straight face as she watches Shego continue on. "What the hell were you thinking?! Why are you helping me?! Don't you realize who you're dealing with?! WHITE! BIG WHITE! That man has a record even I shudder to think about! That's not even the half of it!"

Kim just stares. She gets the strange urge to lean forward and kiss the ranting woman. She tries to shake the thought, but as Shego keeps bellowing and her hands glow a slight green, the urge becomes more and more persistent. The thought becomes worse by the picture of smothering the woman with the kiss, happily ending the ranting before it keeps building out of control. Kim feels sweat prickle her brow, a small frown working its way onto her face as she forces herself to sit still. Yes, kissing those perfectly delicious lips was really, really looking appetizing. All it would take is a foot or so of movement. All she has to do is lean forward.

Kim swallows and looks away, trying desperately to think of other things. Shego, however, will have none of that. She grabs Kim's chin and forces her to look at her.

"Look at me!" she growls. "Have you any idea what you've done?! I still can't believe-!" Shego rants on. Kim doesn't hear a word. She's WAY too focused on those lips.

Kim bites her own lip in hopes to put some sanity back into her head with pain, but the need only grows. Damn the woman for looking so luscious! Kim wants to close her eyes, but knows that her torturer will only make her open them again. Oh yes, she can just picture mauling her! Taking her completely by surprise! She… Oh, damn patience and decency to hell! She wants the woman, and she'll have her!

A small devious smile works its way upon her face, and Shego, still mid rant, doesn't notice a thing amiss. It only makes Kim's deviant smile grow bigger. Without warning, she lurches forward and wraps her arms around Shego's neck and presses her lips tightly against Shego's, effectively cutting off Shego's words.

Shego, taken completely by surprise, is left to the mercy of her captor. She feels a tongue brush her lips before attacking her own tongue. A shudder runs up her body and a small moan escapes her throat. It only has her captor pressing forward more, scouring deeper with that oh so sweet appendage. Shego doesn't even realize she's falling backward until her back hit's the bed with a soft whump! After a few more seconds of hopelessly blissful torture, her captor pulls away, leaving her quite breathless.

Kim smirks lazily. Shego can only stare at her, eyes wide. Since when had her Princess become so… so… Damn, Kim sure looks pleased with herself.

Not to be outdone, Shego growls and yanks the redhead forward, successfully locking their lips once more. Since when had she last gotten a kiss from the girl anyway? Damn girl was usually shy and hesitant. Oh, and never, NEVER had it been this passionate.

Finally, breaking the kiss, Shego relaxes on the bed to look up at her impishly grinning girlfriend.

"What-the-hell?" gasps Shego. Oh, if kisses were always going to be this good after getting kidnapped, she should consider doing it more often. She's amazed to see the need burning in Kim's green eyes as she looks down at her. Just as she moves her hand to reach up and stroke the redhead's cheek, Kim flops down on the bed beside her, nuzzling the green skinned woman's neck. The attention sends another shiver down her spine, and Shego has a very hard time suppressing another little moan.

"I missed you," Kim murmurs against her skin. Her skin tingles where the soft warm breath caresses it. Shego can't hold herself back and rolls to her side to wrap her Princess in her arms.

"I missed you too, Princess." An understatement, admits Shego. She absently reaches up to stroke the soft red hair. After several long moments of silence, Shego dares speak. "Why the sudden change?" she asks softly. She winces. That really wasn't what she had wanted to ask. She feels Kimmie squirm, and regretfully releases her enough she can move back to look Shego in the eye.

"Would you laugh if I said that you don't realize what you have until you've lost it?" When Shego's brow furrows, Kim leans forward to place a gentle kiss on her lips. "I'm really sorry I didn't realize it sooner, love. It shouldn't take GJ's backstabbing, villain kidnapers and a dashing rescue, by yours truly, to realize that." Shego snorts in amusement at her words, but a part of her feels like someone is pouring pure energy into her heart. "I know you've been waiting a long time for me to say it, and I'm sorry I didn't sooner… I love you." Kim leans forward again to place another chaste kiss on her lips.

Shego has to force her tears to stay at bay as she pulls Kim into her arms and holds her tight.

"Yeah," she whispers hoarsely. "I've waited for a long time for you to say that."

Shego's mind turns to that moment, that turning point, that had lead to all this.

--Flashback--

_Shego waited patiently for an answer. She tried to quell the fear that kept threatening to overpower her and send her running from the room or simply break down. She made herself look Kim full in the eye and wait for an answer. She had to admit, it was amusing how shell shocked the teen hero seemed._

_"Well? Are you going to say yes, or not?"_

_Kim's jaw worked soundlessly for a couple minutes, her face scrunched up in confusion. Neither of them paid any mind to Drakken and Ron shouting across the room at them. Kim looked down, and Shego braced herself for the resounding 'no' she felt certain she was about to receive._

_"M-maybe?" came the choked answer. Shego let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding._

_"Excuse me, Princess?"_

_Kim fidgeted, hands worrying at her gloves._

_"Um… Maybe?"_

_Shego's heart did a little flip flop of hope. Still, you can't take such a leap of faith with just a 'maybe'. Taking a breath and trying to sound amused, Shego responded._

_"Maybe? Princess, I can't quit villainy for a maybe."_

_Kim swallowed. Her fidgeting got worse. Shego found it adorable, but would never admit to using that word to anyone._

_"I… um…" A blush crept across Kim's face. "I dunno… I mean… I can try, but…"_

_Okay, that 'try' thing really hurt, like someone just kicked her in the gut._

_"What do you mean, Kimmie?" She didn't mean to sound hurt, but it seeped through anyway. Kim winced._

_"No, that's not what I…" She looked up to meet Shego's gaze. "This isn't something I'm used to. I'll go, but I, I need time to adjust. I don't know if I can return your feelings or not. I just…" She looked away again. "I don't want to hurt you, but… unless you're willing to take a chance, I'm not certain I can return any feelings or not. We'd have to… try it out…"_

_Shego had to pause to consider that. Her Princess was willing to try, to go out and see what happened. Maybe, if they spent enough time together, Kim would slowly start to come to like her in return. If she didn't, at least Shego had a chance to change her mind. To be honest, a chance was more then she had hoped for anyway._

_Kim took a hesitant step back under Shego's lazy smirk._

_"All right, Princess. Let's give it a whirl. Pick you up at seven." She darted forward and gave Kim a small peck on the cheek. Kim didn't even realize Shego had moved until after the kiss was given. Kim blushed madly. Shego thoroughly enjoyed the stunned look before winking and disappearing out of sight. _

--Hideout--

Shego finds herself grinning into Kim's thick red hair. Lord knows how long she's waited for this. She inhales deeply, filling her nose with Kim's scent. She lets out a long content sigh. Yeah, she's waited a long time for this.

"Kimmie…" she asks.

"Hmm?" mumbles Kim into her neck.

"What was up with the whole guy thing?"

"Uh, yeah, that…" Kim chuckles humorlessly, sounding suspiciously nervous.

"Kimmie…" Shego says warningly. Kim 'eeps' and burrows her face into the crook of Shego's neck. Shego rolls her eyes and grabs Kim's shoulders to push her up into the air. She looks into Kim's green eyes. "Kimmie… please explain what the hell is going on."

Shego feels Kim's fingers tapping out a nervous beat on her stomach. She tries to avoid Shego's piercing stare, but isn't having much luck.

"Um… Well, you see…"

"Kimmie, out with it already." huffs Shego. Kim looks at Shego's collar as her hand moves to toy with it.

"Um, you know, um… I'vekindabeenlivingalieandhaveasecondlife!" she says all in one whoosh. She ducks her head to hide in Shego's neck again. Completely baffled now and unable to decipher the mess, Shego rolls them both over so she's staring down at Kim.

"Slower this time, and no tricks." commands Shego. She keeps Kim pinned when the young woman tries to wriggle free. Kim pouts, but Shego doesn't budge. "Kim…"

Oh, not the first name, not just Kim. The redhead winces. Darn, trapped now.

"Um, I haven't exactly been honest with you…" answers Kim, looking utterly panicked.

"About?" asks Shego, a hint of anger in her voice. This better not be what she thinks it's about.

"Yeah, you see… Um… I'm not Little Miss Perfect?" replies the hero, sounding like a kid hesitatingly questioning if they got the right answer. Shego rolls her eyes.

"Kim, explain."

Kim chews on her lip a moment before answering.

"Um, remember that time I came home all beat up and stuff?"

Shego snorts.

"How often do you NOT come home beaten up and stuff?"

Kim winces.

"Okay, different tact. Um, remember when I was gone on that mission for a month?"

Shego does remember that. She had been worried out of her mind the entire time. Wade kept trying to convince her everything was fine, but it didn't stop her from prowling the city at night and clobbering anyone foolish enough to approach her.

"Yes," she finally answers.

"Well, I wasn't exactly on a normal mission." Kim says hesitantly. Shego quirks an eyebrow.

"What kind of mission were you on?"

"Um, I was getting training from the now retired Lone Wolf," Kim says hurriedly. Shego blinks. Kim waits for her to say something, but Shego only stares at her blindly. "Shego?" Kim asks softly. Did she make her mad? "Shego." Kim pauses then reaches out to poke Shego square in the forehead. Shego blinks and frowns down at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Um… Getting your attention?"

Shego rolls her eyes and grabs the offending digit.

"All right then, what exactly are you saying? You had to have spent time at Black Market to find out about the Lone Wolf, especially to have known how skilled he is."

"Yeah, that. Ha ha, you're going to laugh."

Shego lifts an eyebrow.

"Oh really?" she asks semi threateningly. Kim 'eeps' again, but can't wriggle free. "Why don't you make me laugh then?"

"You know the world knows me as Kim Possible, hero extraordinaire, but that's only uh, half of who I am?" She laughs nervously under Shego's glare. "Yeah, see, I'm also known as Jay, and as I said before, the new Lone Wolf. Only the old man and Team Possible know about Jay."

"What, my little Kimmie, were you trying to accomplish, with this 'Jay' character?"

"Heh heh, funny you should ask that. You remember the name that had been circling before that? Black Sword? That was my uh, title before I became the Lone Wolf."

Shego's eyes narrow.

"Black Sword? You mean that kid who was said to climb the ranks of villainy to become one of the twenty most dangerous?"

"Uh-huh. You're lookin' at him."

"How the HELL did you pull that off? And why?" demands Shego. Kim scratches her cheek nervously.

"The how was easy. At the time I originally started being Jay, I had a holo-image to hide who I was. Unless someone physically groped me, they had no clue who I was." Kim can't help but smirk proudly. "And the only time I ever got tagged was with the old man. That's how he found out who I was."

"Stop preening. How long were you doing this?"

Kim taps her cheek a moment.

"About a year after becoming a teen hero?"

Shego rubs her head and groans.

"Okay, seriously. Why?"

"Doy, it looked fun." She sinks back into the bed as far as she can under Shego's glare. "Really! I mean, after running all over the world and all that teen hero worship and pressure…! I couldn't stand it! Ron and I decided to try our hand at villainy. I mean, really, have you seen some of the villains running around? We were certain we could do better." Kim shrugs. "All it took was a little asking around. Once we found out where the city was, we had Wiz get us in. Piece of cake." Kim waves a hand in the air. "After we set up base at his parents place, we started making a name for ourselves. Did you know Ron is known as Yellow Jack?"

Shego quirks an eyebrow at the name but quickly shakes her head.

"So basically, you became a villain for fun, thinking you had a better shot at it then people like Drakken?"

Kim frowns.

"Hey, I'm not some self centered prude out for world domination!" Kim huffs and looks away. Shego has to hold back a chuckle.

"Then what were you after?"

"Just a bit of fun, maybe some money. I never really planned for it to go so well. I mean, I expected to get some fame, but to earn the top twenty? Ha! I'm damn good." Kim practically glows. Shego lowers her head until their noses are centimeters apart.

"Stop preening. You forget. I used to be top twenty too."

Kim can't help but smirk.

"You think I wouldn't know who you were?" she scoffs. "Give me some credit. As soon as I saw you light up, I knew who you were." Kim grins mischievously. "When you let lil' ol' me win all the time, I was wondering how come you were still top twenty. I mean, really." Kim abruptly changes her pitch to sound like a TV announcer. "Teen hero kicks one of the top twenty villain's butt in another fight! Is this thief extraordinaire really top twenty material?" she mocks. It gets the desired effect. Shego snarls and smashes a pillow into Kim's face.

"Stuff it Princess! I let you off easy! Get me into a real fight, and you won't stand a chance!"

Kim squeals and manages to wiggle out from Shego's grasp. She clambers over the bed and stands at a ready position, a taunting smile on her lips. She continues her in her little announcer voice.

"I say, we should look into this! A willy-nilly teen kicking the infamous Shego's butt? I thought that Shego would wipe the floor with the Teen ages ago! What kind of villains are we procuring these days?"

Shego growls and launches herself over the bed. Kim nimbly ducks out of her reach. Shego kicks out viciously, but Kim merely sidesteps it. Shego's frown grows. She drops to the floor and manages to sweep Kim's feet out from underneath her. Kim throws her hands on the ground and flips into a standing position. Shego is right in front of her, grabbing her hands and throwing her up against the wall. Kim's grin is cheeky as she slips from Shego's grasp and throws her arms around the taller woman's neck.

"I've missed our fights," murmurs Kim. Shego blanches as Kim folds herself into Shego. Shego sputters.

"W-what the hell?! Princess! Damn it!" Shego reaches up to remove Kim's arms, but Kim only nuzzles deeper into Shego's neck.

"Shego…" says Kim softly. Shego pauses. Kim sounded… upset. NOW what's going on? Shego huffs before answering tightly.

"What?"

"…There's… another reason." Kim shudders and Shego's brow creases in confusion and worry as she waits for Kim to continue. "I wanted… revenge."

(okay! At this point, I have no idea what's going on! Isn't that fantastic? Even the author is clueless! I know the reason I added that lil bit in the end is there for a reason, but haha mark me clueless on where it's going to be taken. Maybe I'll figure it out before I have to get back to work ; --looks over shoulder for da boss--) OH! P.S. cause I didn't add it before, I don't own nadda from this story but the plot! Toodles! --dashes off--


	6. Tempers and Revenge

Chpt 6

"Revenge? Against who? For what?" Shego is flustered. Not only does Kim keeping throwing bombshells at her, she keeps taking her by surprise with sudden shifts of attitude. Damn the girl! As if she isn't still trying to get her bearings after discovering her girlfriend has a history of villainy! … And, Shego admits grudgingly, it seems she's damn good at it.

Kim remains silent for a while. She's still trying to get over the fact she's mentioned something she swore never to reveal to anyone.

"Rainy days are such a blessing," Kim murmurs completely out of the blue. Shego's face puckers in a grimace.

"What are you talking about? What do rainy days have to do with this?" demands Shego.

"That day was perfect… until the sun came out," answers Kim.

--Flashback--

_It was raining. Kim didn't mind. Today was the perfect day. She'd finished another mission that morning and it just seemed all was right in the world. She had tried to convince herself to stay calm, but it wasn't working. She was bouncing with energy. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't sit still. The tweebs were even leaving her alone, something so rare, that when it came, was a blessing._

_Finally, with a happy grin, she threw open the door and went running out into the rain. She had so much energy to burn, and not knowing what else to do with it, she just ran. She didn't pick a destination. She let her feet lead her. The further and further she got, the less she recognized. She raced around a corner, only to bounce back in shock._

_Her jaw dropped as she looked up at the man towering over her. He didn't move. He just stared down at her._

_"Excuse me," she mumbled, ducking around him. She could feel the man's gaze on her back as she ran off down the street and around another corner, his two companions watching her just as closely. It sent a shiver down her spine. Unable to shake her unease, she climbed a fire escape and went roof to roof until she was hovering over the man and his waiting group._

_She was shaking all over. Though she hadn't been noticed, her nerves were making her paranoid. She had no idea how long she sat there before another car pulled up. The windows were tinted, but when the backseat window rolled down, Kim gasped._

"_What the fuck?!" It was the first cussword Kim had ever dared utter._

_She didn't think anyone had heard her, but when she turned around, one of the man's companions was standing behind her. His smile made her blood run cold._

--Hideout--

Kim shudders. Shego hesitantly wraps her arms around the redhead. Maybe she isn't ready to tell that story yet.

"Shego, can you ask me again later?"

Shego frowns.

"If it's bothering you this much, do you think you should wait?"

Kim's arms tighten.

"I've kept it to myself this long… a little while longer is no big."

"And if I want to know now because it's obviously bothering you?"

"Please? I promise I'll tell you soon… just, right now… isn't the time."

Shego frowns up at the light fixture for a good minute before sighing.

"Fine Princess, I'll let you off the hook." Shego leans back to wag a finger in Kim's face. "But just this once. If YOU'RE out for revenge, someone must have done something serious."

Kim shudders again.

"You could say that."

Shego sighs again.

"Doy! You sure know how to hold a girl in suspense."

Kim manages to giggle.

"About the new guise… Wiz's and my parents have been working for years on a reasonably sized tool to change your physical makeup to that of someone else. Not only will you look like someone new, you will be someone new. That's why, when I was Jay this time, I was, well, Jay. They took the pieced together image from my holo-image and inputted it into the device. It genetically reconstructed my body to that of Jay's. Don't ask me how it works cause I can only process so much of that garble before I tune it out."

Shego chuckles.

"Okay, that explains that part." Shego pinches one of Kim's cheeks and frowns at her. "But that was a nasty little trick you pulled. I seriously didn't know who you were." Shego leans forward. "Then you started flirting with me. If you had kept it up, I would have kicked your little behind."

Kim laughs.

"But it was priceless! You should have seen your face! You had this 'who the fuck are you?!' look the entire time! I couldn't resist a little teasing." Kim grins impishly. Shego rolls her eyes.

"You sooo need to be taught a lesson."

"Is that an offer to teach me?" Kim says slyly. Shego gives her a wary look.

"Geeze Princess, this whole 'naughty' thing is really screwing with me. And you're telling me that you were like this the whole time?" Shego huffs at Kim's nod. "Damn it! Where the hell was I?!"

Kim grins sagely.

"Why, you were there the entire time. Don't you remember?" Kim can't help herself and giggles again. "You just didn't realize I played for both teams."

Shego smirks.

"In more ways then one to boot."

Kim's eyes widen, momentarily taken by surprise. She slaps her forehead.

"You're still Shego," she remarks. Shego blinks.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

Kim grins and gently places a kiss on Shego's lips.

"Nothing… Just that, even if you stopped being a world famous thief, you still have the attitude that goes with it."

Shego's eyes narrow.

"Which reminds me, if you were a villain this whole time, why did I have to quit?"

Kim shrugs.

"Hey, I didn't think you were serious. Well, that and if you really want to be a thief, you need to clear your name and start over."

"Excuse me? How do you figure that?"

"Think about it. A good thief doesn't get caught. A good thief is known, but they never have a face to go with it. Oh, and if you clear your name, you can walk both sides of the law without having to worry about either side trying to stake out your house… Okay well maybe the villains still will, but that's only if they think you have something worth value they think they have a chance at taking. But, with your sparkling personality, you should be able to scare most of them off."

Shego grumble something under her breath.

"So what's your plan?" Shego finally asks. Kim opens her mouth then lets it snapped closed. Her eyes get really wide.

"I almost forgot!" She thumps a fist into her palm. "I owe Betty a little visit." Kim's face gets taunt, smile growing grim. Shego lifts an eyebrow.

"You owe who a visit?"

"Betty, or as she's often called, Dr. Director."

Shego's snorts derisively.

"What do you want with her?" she asks darkly. She blinks when Kim starts walking to the door. She silently follows, waiting for the redhead to answer.

"I owe her a few incentives... and a few repercussions."

"Is this the revenge you spoke of?" Shego asks curiously. Kim pauses a moment, hand on the doorknob.

"…No… That will come later. This is just me being pissed off."

--GJ--

BOOM!

Dr. Director nearly falls out of her chair, the whole building quaking. She grips her desk to stay seated, eye wide.

"What the hell was that?" she growls as the quaking slowly subsides. She pushes a button on her desk. "Will, what's going on?"

Static crackles for a moment before Will's voice comes on in broken clips of speech.

"A bomb! –crackle- Big explosion! –crackle- C ward and –crackle- looking for source –crackle- can't find…" The connection is cut off mid sentence. Dr. Director frowns at the panic in the young man's voice. Will never panics. Muttering curses, she turns to the screen behind her. It flickers to life.

WHAM!

The Director jumps, spinning around to see Kim possible standing in her doorway. Shego is standing behind the redhead, looking bemused.

"What is…" starts Dr. Director. Kim kicks something at her. The Director barely has a chance to duck as it whizzes past her head. Even Shego looks surprised.

"Betty, you didn't listen to me." Kim locks eyes with the woman. The one eyed woman has a very hard time keeping herself from flinching.

"I don't usually listen to my subordinates unless it's about relative information," responds the Director tartly. Kim's eyes narrow.

"Seeing as how it concerned your better interests, you should have."

The Director's own eye narrows.

"How does cowering from petty threats and nonsense missions hold my better interests?" she asks crossly.

Kim's smirk is feral.

"I did warn you, didn't I? You shouldn't make light of us heroes. We aren't just there to follow your every whim. We have our own agendas too. And it really is rather stupid to piss someone off who runs around and defies all odds to save the world on a daily basis. Really, you should consider how much more of an advantage said hero has. Think of it. A secret organization like yours has to worry about being exploited. Heroes are in the news every day. They get national renown, and that earns them sympathy from the general population. Where a secret organization has to remain cloaked in shadows and supported secretly, a hero can brazenly plead for help and receive funds, willing backup and unheard of amounts of gifts."

Kim idly walks over and picks up a glass half globe on the Director's desk holding a scorpion inside. She examines it as she continues.

"If I take out a secret organization, no one is the wiser. Actually, the public would probably be upset it existed to begin with, given the right announcement upon discovery. If a hero gets pegged, whoever did it will have bloodthirsty hero worshipers dogging them until their demise." Kim sets the half globe down. "In other words, I have quite the advantage, don't you think?"

Dr. Director's face burns red with anger.

"If you're a hero, you wouldn't stoop to such atrocities."

"You're one to say anything," Kim remarks darkly, pinning the woman with her burning gaze. Shego looks at Kim curiously. What is she referring to?

Kim shrugs off the remark, going about her examination of the room. Betty's eye never leaves her.

"I already told you what was going to happen," says Kim. "I gave you very simple instructions, no less. Still, you refused to do any of them. Grant it, I was able to work so fast that I never did get a chance to instill those incentives. However, it doesn't mean I'm not going to still use them." She whirls around to face the Director, eyes unblinking emotional rocks. "It's about time you remembered who you are and just where you exactly stand. If you fail to redeem yourself this time, there won't be another chance."

The Director can't repress the shudder that runs down her spine. What did the redhead know?

"What are you going to do?" she asks hoarsely.

"What YOU are going to do first, is pay Shego the difference of 'recovered' goods. Secondly, you're going to give her a clean slate, as promised. As for the rest, you'll find out soon enough." Again, Kim's smile grows feral, body radiating repressed power. "And as I've said before. You're going to regret pissing me off. I've had enough of these games. Your turn is up."

Betty swallows.

Kim whirls around and stalks out of the room. Shego spares a single disgusted frown at the frozen Director before she follows Kim. The room is so silent after they leave, you can hear a pin drop.

Slowly, the Director folds up into herself, hands covering her face.

"Everything… Everything I tried preventing has come into play… Has, it… Was I wrong?" Betty looks down at her hands, following the creases and counting scars. She shudders. "Have I become so weak, I cannot even stand to protect the choices I've made? Be they right or wrong, I shouldn't cower from the consequences. But…Maybe…" She pauses to look at the door. "A lesson will surely be learned."

She sighs. She shakes her head and runs a hand through her hair. She straightens in her seat and presses a button.

"Yes?" asks a voice.

"I want you to wire some money into an account for me. Also, I need you to get me Shego's records."

There's a slight hesitation.

"Yes ma'am." Another pause. "Ma'am?"

The Director sighs.

"Yes?"

"Can you… come untie me first?"

(hahaha! i know, i'm evil for not saying what the revenge deal was about. i want to keep that hidden just a bit longer. just thought i'd give you a taste of 'the day it all began'. and i'm thinking i'll give lil ol director a chance to redeem herself. people make mistakes, you know? but she still gets what's coming to her. anyway, also thought that last line was priceless. really, after all that serious jazz, had to have a laugh in there somewhere! OH! and TYVM for the reviews! lol makes me focus on this story more then my other ones.) -salutes- Toodles!


	7. You do what!

(Eh, this is just an insert give you a little bit of an idea how big kim is in the villain world and a little bit about her past. Also gives shego the heads up that kimmie isn't exactly who she thought she was.)

Chpt 7

Shego turns a disbelieving eye to Kim/Jay.

"You… LIVE here?" she asks. She jerks a thumb at the towering mansion out the limo window. Jay just grins. "Seriously Pumkin, how do you afford it? I have my own place down here, and payments aren't cheap."

"Didn't I tell you? I'm famous down here."

Shego rolls her eyes.

"For two opposite reasons too. What exactly do you do as a villain?" asks Shego. Jay's mouth snaps shut and he fidgets. "Kimmie, do I have to go through all that pulling of teeth again? Cause to be honest, I'm already so shocked, I'm numb to it."

"Well, I lie, cheat, bet, and…" Jay mutters the rest. Shego eyes him as the limo they're in pulls into the gate of the mansion.

"You better speak up, Kimmie, or I'll really start turning evil on your ass."

Jay winces.

"I'm an assassin."

Shego freezes, hand still held threateningly in the air.

"You're a … what?!"

"Assassin."

Shego slaps a hand across her eyes and groans.

"Strike me wrong. I am shocked." She moves her fingers enough she can look at Jay. "Really though, you, an assassin? I didn't think you had it in you." Shego frowns. "Not even I have killed anyone."

Jay shrugs.

"I can't say I'm overly fond of it, but once I got my foot in the door down here, and the more time I spent with Yuri, I kind of got into the thrill. See, at the time I was still earning a rep in fist fights and wagered battles, I had come under the Snake's attention. I had won a humiliating fight on one of his men. In an act of revenge, he started delving deeper. I wasn't fond of the attention and got riled up. I broke into his hideout. I almost didn't make it out."

Jay frowns a moment, face clouding over in memory.

"I wasn't a pretty sight," he continues. "I had to take a month off the hero gig. Anyway, I've dealt with my share of dirt bags down here. I discovered that there are a few of them that would be better off dead then running amok alive. I started training harder. I never did fully train under Yuri like Ron did. But, I discovered my own techniques by combining what I already knew. I told Ron my plan, and we started hiring ourselves out for choice targets. We're picky about our targets. If we don't like the hit or our pay, we don't accept. Anyway, our high standards and selective choosing built us a bigger reputation and in turn got us harder targets. We love the challenge. Our targets only grow harder to take out."

Jay smirks. "Hey, sure isn't what anyone else expects of me."

Shego glares at him.

"I never suspected anything like killing though."

Jay's smile dies out.

"Hey, I would have told you sooner if I thought you could be trusted. I was actually planning to tell you after you got your name cleared with GJ." Jay shakes his head. "I really never found killing anyone pleasurable. I only found the hunt exciting, the thrill of overcoming my opponent. I get plenty of a rush out of stealing. Heck, I really wouldn't mind changing my job down here to thief. My point is, I became an assassin to survive."

Shego frowns.

"That doesn't quite make sense, Kimmie."

Jay winces.

"Can you use my name please? If someone hears you, they're going to start poking their noses around."

Shego rolls her eyes.

"Whatever, _Jay_."

Jay prods her playfully. The limo stops at an expansive garden. Shego looks around curiously.

"Where we at, Pumpkin?"

Jay glares at her.

"Pumpkin is even worse."

Shego smirks.

"Well, you're going to have to deal, _Pumpkin_, cause I don't plan on giving up that nickname anytime soon."

Jay sighs and opens the door to slide out into the warm air. He stretches before reaching down to help Shego out. Shego hesitates then grabs his hand. She follows as he makes his way down a stone path deeper into the garden. After walking for several minutes, he takes a seat on a stone bench. He motions for Shego to sit next to him.

"Nice, huh?" he asks playfully. Shego silently nods her head in agreement. "But really, if you go around calling me Pumpkin, people are going to think I've gone soft."

Shego snorts.

"And if they realized it's me calling you that, they should know better."

Jay chuckles.

"That is true."

Shego adjusts herself enough she can look at Jay comfortably. She frowns slightly.

"This is kind of weird… even for you, Pumpkin."

Jay stares at the hologram sky a moment longer before turning to her. His face is solemn.

"When I first stumbled upon this place, I ran into some trouble. When I managed to escape, I learned that I couldn't approach things like I normally do. I needed a new look and a new attitude." Jay shakes his head ruefully. "I got my ass kicked more times then I can count. But, with this disguise, I had an easier time avoiding suspicion down here. And, an easier time adjusting. I was down here weeks before Ron was. I wasn't planning on even telling him. Eventually though, I kept coming back with so many bruises and stuff, he demanded to know what was going on. I was drunk at the time. It being Ron, I found myself pouring out the whole story."

Shego's eyes look Jay over.

"You? Drunk? Since when?"

Jay grins teasingly.

"Since the first day I came down here as Jay and walked into a drinking game." He laughs. "I've brought my tolerance up quite a bit, that's for sure."

Shego shakes her head in disbelief.

"Will you ever stop surprising me?" she asks in wonder. "I mean really, I've been slapped in the face so many times today, I have no idea what to expect anymore. Do I even know you at all?"

Jay reaches out and takes her hands in his.

"There are a lot of people I've lied to Shego, you being one of them. But one thing I never lied about was my emotions. If you pissed me off, you knew it. If you made me happy, you knew it. Be friend or foe, you knew it. And, one thing that's never changed, I still have an impossibly big forgiveness streak. All in all, when I told you that I-"

Shego places a finger on his lips.

"Hey, that was after everything came out. And I know you meant it." Shego sighs. "This is just a lot to take in." She snorts. "Especially you being a super power in the villain community. I don't think I'll get over that for a while."

Jay grins crookedly.

"You think you're shocked? Imagine dropping Ron into an arena with the antagonistic words 'this is my new game, and I've gambled all our money on us winning. If we lose, we're going to lose more then our allowance'."

Shego's eyes widen.

"What happened?"

Jay laughs.

"We kicked all their butts, earning a few bruises of our own. We walked away with ten times the amount we walked in with. Ron was getting so much hype from his new fans, it wasn't hard to convince him to come back."

Shego shakes her head, a smile tugging at her lips.

"My goodness Pumpkin, you're even corrupting the innocence close to you! I can't believe I'm hearing this!" Shego laughs. "I wish I could have been there. That fight would have been priceless."

Jay's smirk turns mischievous, making Shego eye him warily.

"You were there," he states matter-of-factly. Shego frowns, tapping a manicured fingernail on her chin.

"I was?"

"Does this sound familiar?" asks Jay, before changing the pitch of his voice. "Oi, oi! Stop slaggering my lunk-head of a partner! He's got to last the next few rounds so I can get rich!"

Shego's jaw drops.

"No fuckin' way!" she blurts. Jay's grinning from ear to ear. "That loudmouth buffoon was you?!"

Jay laughs.

"You think everyone is a buffoon."

"That's usually because they are."

Jay snorts in amusement.

"_Anyway_, Ron and I started coming regularly. I became a bigger target, and the only way to skirt having a bullet in the gut was to become the hunter and not the hunted. I used the fear of the assassin's title to get a larger amount of my pursuers off my back. I also earned a hefty amount of money too." Jay waves a hand around them. "As you can see, I'm not short on money. Or favors for that matter." Jay looks devious as he rubs his small patch of fuzz on his chin. "If I ever thought it was worth the hassle, I could _so _take over the world."

Shego bursts out laughing.

"Yeah right, Pumpkin. I don't see that happening at all."

Jay's eyes flash as he turns to Shego earnestly.

"Of course not, not without my empress beside me," He held out his hand to Shego, who rolled her eyes as she dropped her hand in his. He kisses it before straightening and grinning at Shego. "Really though. You have no idea what kind of connections and favors I've got stirred together. Pull the right strings, and I could have the world at my feet." He smirks. "Good thing I don't want it. You know how big of a hassle that would be? Imagine the paperwork, the meetings, the laws…!" Jay snorts and waves a dismissing hand. "If Drakken or some other fool wants to try a hand at the job, and can actually manage to get it, I say give them their shot. I bet next to none of them would want it after about three months of ruling."

"Master Wolf," calls a voice. Shego tenses, but Jay's hand on her calms her nerves. A man in a dress suit steps out into the circular resting spot Jay and Shego are nestled in. He bows as soon as he comes in sight.

"What is it?" asks Jay. The newcomer glances warily at Shego. Jay sighs impatiently. "Sean, this is Shego. She's my girlfriend as well as an avid partaker in all my judgments. You can speak freely in front of her."

"As you wish, sir."

Shego is slightly impressed with the power Jay has as Sean bows respectfully.

"What is it you needed to speak with me about?"

Sean clears his throat.

"Your first gift has been sent to the Director. We also have the documents you requested sitting on your desk. Also, you've gotten several written requests for your… unique talents. One such message came with quite an expansive box of jewels."

Jay lifts an eyebrow.

"I take it they want me to remove the senator again?" Jay growls at Sean's nod. "You know how to answer them. A senator is no test of skills. Make sure you inform them I've been insulted by the task. What comes with the others?"

"Only one, sir." replies Sean. "It's nothing fancy and was mailed in a simple envelope."

Slightly intrigued, Jay holds out his hand. Wordlessly, Sean hands him an envelope. Shego notes the familiarity with such an action. Sean has to know her Kimmie pretty well to bring out that letter and not the other. Shego frowns. That only proves how much she doesn't know. She shakes her head. And here she had been so sure she had the redhead figured out and had taken the redhead completely off guard when she quit villainy.

Shego turns to Jay when he lets out an amused whistle. He hands the letter and envelope to Sean.

"I believe we have an assignment. Inform Wiz and Mac."

"Yes, sir." Sean bows and disappears. Shego watches in slight amusement at his stealth before turning to Jay again.

"I really know next to nothing about you, do I?" she says soberly. Jay winces.

"Didn't we already go over this?"

"Yes, but you're not telling me everything. Your story has a bunch of holes."

Jay huffs, absently massaging Shego's hand in his lap.

"I could say the same of you, Shego."

Shego frowns.

"All you have to do is ask, Pumpkin."

The softness in her voice brings Jay's head snapping up. He sighs and gently reaches out to stroke her cheek.

"Listen, it's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just that a lot's happened. To squeeze everything together in one sitting would be impossible. It doesn't help matters that you're probably going to want to skin me for a lot of the stupid shit I've done."

Shego looks at him in amusement.

"Really now?"

He bobs his head in assent.

"I have to admit I've had a lot of close calls. There were some days I wasn't sure if I would be making an appearance for our usual tussles. Ha ha, I remember one in particular. We were going after Bon Daklur, that crazy guy who kept calling himself a vamp. Anyway, we managed to track him down to a decked out mansion in France. We had him cornered, and we thought we had the upper hand. Well, he ended up hitting a switch and turning the tables on us, literally. He had an antigravity machine that he switched on. Taken by surprise, we had a difficult time fighting him. He tossed two grenades into the mix, and a semi auto pistol, and yeah. Ron got clipped in the arm with the gun. I got blasted out of the mansion from the fourth floor, shrapnel catching me pretty good in a few places."

Jay pulls up a sleeve to expose his bicep.

"Look, you can still see these two really well. The grenade went off on the left side when I tried to duck out of the way." He points and two jagged scars about two inches long each. "I have a few more scars then I let on. Most of them I can cover decently when I need to, such as for old cheerleading practices. But, anyway, I was about three inches shy of impaling myself on the iron fence around the mansion when I fell. I still managed to ding my head on the stone wall at the bottom. Ron managed to take the guy out and then come rescue me from my fall. I'm only partially joking when I tell people Ron is my body guard."

Shego shakes her head slowly from side to side.

"Are all your stories similar?"

Jay grins impishly.

"Pretty much." He laughs at Shego's grimace. "Hey, I am a super villain and a world renowned hero. I get into tight spots all the time."

"Yes, but being a super villain brings you a lot closer to dying then being a hero. As a villain, everyone's out to get you. At least as a hero, you got people out there backing you up."

"What, you saying you're not going to rescue me if I get into something a little deeper then I thought I would?" he asks teasingly.

"If you get yourself too deep, I'll leave you there just to prove a point," remarks Shego.

"Love you too," Jay replies sarcastically. He pauses, staring so hard into Shego's eyes she shifts uncomfortably.

"What?!" she demands moodily.

"Just wishing I could kiss you right now without the both of us freaking out," he answers.

"Eh?!" Shego flinches back slightly. Jay notices it and smirks.

"See what I mean?" he says smugly. "You're so afraid of my sexy other half that you can't bring yourself to accept me." He looks up petulantly. "All my charms for naught."

Shego shoves him off the bench, earning a satisfying yelp from her prey.

"You think much to highly of yourself, you know that?" she replies haughtily. Jay sits up from the ground and smirks as he slings an arm across the bench.

"And this spankingly rich son of a bitch has every right to be. Have you not noticed my beautiful castle? Here, I am god!"

Shego crosses her arms disdainfully, but it has no other effect on Jay but to get him to laugh.

"Come on, lets get inside. Ron should be around soon to discuss our newest mission." Jay pulls out a phone from his pocket. "Hey Freddy, can you come pick us up? We're in the garden, and we need to get back to the Castle to go over our newest job." Jay listens as someone on the other ends responds before unconsciously nodding. "Yep, five minutes. See you soon." Jay hangs up. "Sorry I can't take you on tour. This new job is rather important."

"Is it linked with what's been going on?" asks Shego. She stretches as she stands, earning a rather hungry stare from Jay. "Pumpkin, I asked you a question."

Jay shakes himself and jumps to his feet.

"Erm, yes, it is connected. As soon as the others get here, I'll explain more." He holds out his arm. "Shall we?"

Shego looks him up and down.

"What have I gotten myself into?" she asks no one in particular. Jay grins

"Sorry Alice, you fell into the rabbit hole a long way back."


	8. Nightmares

Chpt 8

--Unknown Mansion--

_The shadows stretched long and thin along the floor. Distant murmurs reach his ears from a couple rooms away. He snorts softly. Another party. When do the rich ever just spend their money on something reasonable, like new inventions? They like to stand around and talk too much. He shifts, slowly lowering himself down to the floor, carefully avoiding the motion sensor lasers. He pulls out an item from his pocket and places it on the glass case in front of him. He smirks as he pulls away._

_Ducking through the lasers, he makes his way further into the room. He holds up his wrist next to the mechanical lock on the door. Pushing a few buttons, he hears the satisfying click of the lock. He gently pulls open the door, peering through the widening crack for any kind of attack or alarm. Seeing none, he steps into the room. The room has twice as many lasers as the last, as well as floor alarms once a new weight adds itself to it. He pulls out a grapple and shoots it across the room to the wall on his left. One the end latches onto the wall, he secures the end in his hand to the wall behind him._

_He grabs the wire and starts crawling along it's length, easily avoiding all the lasers. Once he makes it to the wall he reaches up and connects a D ring to the wire. He secures a thin line from his belt to the D ring. He lowers himself through the lasers to about four feet from the floor. He reaches into a pouch at his belt and pulls out a small palm pilot looking item. He scans the wall with a red beam. After reading the info, he smirks and tucks it back into his pouch. He taps his watch and nods when Wiz's face comes into view. Wiz smirks and nods back. He waits patiently as Wiz works his magic._

_Moments later, the wall hisses and part of it falls back in to itself before sliding to the left and into the wall. Smiling, Jay slips in through the new door, carefully not touching the floor of the previous room. He looks around the new room which is a little smaller then the last room. Sitting on a chair in the center of the room is a single man, his back to the door._

_"Who are you?" asks the man. Jay takes a couple steps into the room, the single bulb in the room casting a dull yellow light over the two of them._

_"My name is not important," answers Jay, keeping a close eye on the man. The man shifts slightly, and Jay is immediately in a defense stance. The man chuckles, like he knows what his movement caused. Jay frowns._

_"You're rather jumpy, aren't you?" remarks the man._

_"I have a reason to be," replies Jay. He reaches behind his back and pulls out a small pistol looking weapon. "You're not exactly known for being gentle."_

_The man chuckles dryly._

_"No, guess I'm not." He turns his head so he can look at Jay out of the corner of his eye. "Where are you supposed to be taking me?"_

_"To the guy who paid me. And you better not ask who, cause you should know those in my job don't give away their clients."_

_The man chuckles again._

_"I do know this." He frowns at Jay. "Don't shoot me with that. You won't like the results."_

_"Why not? Does it make you go berserk instead of sedate you?" asks Jay, slightly amused. The man's grin is feral._

_"As a matter of fact… it does."_

_Jay frowns, not lowering his weapon, but not firing either._

_"Do I really have to force you to come? I've already had a long day, and I would rather get this done and over with so I can go get some sleep."_

_The leather bands on the straightjacket creak as the man shifts._

_"Boy, you're a little young yet to try your hand at defeating me."_

_Jay scowls._

_"I'm more skilled then you think."_

_The man guffaws._

_"I don't doubt you're skilled. You got in here, didn't you? But you're still not ready to take me on. I bet your client didn't mention my long list of… deeds. Besides, I can see it in your eyes that you've not bloodied your hands." The man's toothy grin is eerie in the low light. "To beat me, you have to be ready to kill. You're not there yet. To be honest, unless you come up with some way to move me without removing my shackles, you're going to have to kill me. That would cancel your contract, wouldn't it?"_

_Jay wants to argue, but everything the man's said has been true. Damn._

_"Doesn't matter what you say. I've got a contract to keep."_

_Jay puts his weapon away and strides across the room. He kneels down next to the chains on the man's ankles. Just being this close sends chills down Jay's spine. The man is coiled like a poised beast, ready to strike in the blink of an eye. Jay actually finds himself praying it doesn't come down to that. He fastens leg shackles on the man's legs before removing the one's binding him to the floor. He then carefully removes the ones around the man's waist and chest. Before he can get up and step away, the man moves._

_Jay blinks, two boots swinging for his head. Double damn. He tries to pull back, but he doesn't move fast enough. The boots connect with his cheek, sending him flying across the room. He leaps to his feet, watching in shock as the man kicks and breaks the chain on his leg shackles. He dodges the kick and strikes back with his own. The man grins and pivots to catch Jay in the gut with his heel. Jay flips over and lands in a crouch. Wiping away the blood streaming down his split open cheek, he watches the man warily as he stalks forward. The man dashes forward. Just as Jay kicks out, the man drops down under his kick and stands up inches from Jay._

_Their eyes lock. Jay trembles in fear, the man grinning down at him hungrily._

_"You've got skills kid, but like I said, you're no match for me." He smashes his forehead into Jay's nose. Jay curses, tears blinding him. He tries to back away, but the man follows him, keeping them only those few inches apart. Jay feels his back hit the wall. The man just grins down at him. Jay reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pistol. He fires. The man grunts, staggering a moment, but doesn't fall. He steps forward again, taking up the same position. Jay feels his body tremble as the man leans forward. "Nice try kid, but it takes a lot more then that to kill me."_

_The man kicks out and sweeps Jay's feet out from underneath him. He kicks Jay in the stomach as soon as he hit's the ground. Jay grunts, curling up to protect himself. The man kicks him in the face, sending Jay's head snapping back into the wall. He kicks Jay several more times in the torso as Jay blinks wildly in a desperate attempt to not pass out. The man kicks him a few more times, some in the head and some in the torso._

_The kicks pause for a moment as the man squats down to inspect Jay. Jay looks at him through the one eye that isn't swollen shut. He shivers at the man's still ever present grin._

_"I'd kill you, but this fight has been rather fun. Don't want to destroy such potential, now do I? I'll just have to improvise."_

_A knife gleams in the man's hand. Jay's eye widens in horror. When had the man freed his arms? Jay struggles to move, to run, to escape, but the man grabs his shoulder and forces him onto his stomach. The man calmly pulls up Jay's shirt to expose his lower back. Jay screams as the knife begins carving at his flesh._

_Jay looses track of time as the man hums away as he carves at Jay's back. His world consists of burning pain and choking gasps as he tries to hold back sobs. He's barely conscious when the man finally stands and pats him on the head, running the bloody knife across Jay's cheek. Jay shudders groggily as the man wipes the knife on his pants._

_"Next time you better kill me Junior, cause I promise each time you fail, my gifts will become more painful."_

_The man gives him a cheery wave and steps out the door. Jay waits for an alarm to sound, but nothing happens. Jay slowly drags his broken arm up to his face._

_"Contact… Wiz," he wheezes. His whole body aches, and his eyesight is still swimming as he watches Wiz's face pop up on screen. "Wiz, send help. I… failed."_

_Wiz's eyes widen as soon as he sees Jay's face._

_"Shit! I'll tell Mac to create a distraction. I'll be there in ten."_

_Jay smiles faintly._

_"Thanks…" Jay looks up in surprise when the man suddenly steps back into the room._

_"Almost forgot," he says cheerily. He reaches over and picks up the pistol. "This could come in handy, and I owe you one, seeing as you got help on the way."_

_He points the muzzle at Jay. Jay's eye widens and he squirms helplessly on the ground._

_BANG!_

--Jay's Mansion--

"AAAHHHH!"

Jay jerks upright in bed, body covered in sweat. His eyes dart about the room in panic.

BAM!

Jay leaps into a standing position, staring at the door that had just been slammed open. Shego is standing in the doorframe, eyes locked on Jay.

"What the hell happened?!" she demands. Jay lets out a relieved chuckle, collapsing on the bed. Shego watches him, eyes filled with concern. He runs a hand through his black hair, body visibly trembling.

"Damn woman, scare the crap out of a guy after he's already had a bad dream."

Sean suddenly appears at Shego's shoulder.

"Sir?" he calls. "Are you alright?"

Jay waves him off.

"Yeah, just another bad dream."

Sean frowns, eyes narrowed in obvious worry.

"Do you want some sleeping pills, sir?"

Jay slowly shakes his head.

"Nah, I'd rather be able to wake up then be caught in one of those things until the pills wore off." He rubs his face. Shego crosses the room and gently puts an arm around his shoulders. "Thanks Sean. You can go."

Sean hesitates, watching as Shego starts to massage Jay's back. Jay slowly relaxes under the attention. Taking that as a good sign, Sean nods to himself and grabs the door handle.

"Very well, sir. If you need anything, just call."

Jay grunts in acknowledgement, tiredly resting his face in his hands. Sean turns around and exit's the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

Shego watches Jay silently, marveling his well muscled bare back. Shego rolls her eyes. Princess looks good in any form. She shakes her head and focuses on Jay's hidden face.

"Mind telling me what the hell that was about?" she murmurs. Jay sighs, moving his hands so he can look at her.

"Some of my more… interesting assignments have given me nightmares." He chuckles dryly. "I've been having them for a while now."

"From your assassinations?" she asks, trying to get him to clarify.

"Not just those," he says. "I've had some bad run-ins as a hero too. Let's just say, they all get their own little paybacks. I haven't slept decently since I started all this. Having pandaroo to hold at home helps, but here, I can't exactly be caught snuggling a stuffed animal." Jay gives her a self depreciating smirk. She chuckles. She gently runs a hand through his hair.

"I don't remember you every screaming when you crashed at my place."

She spots a blush form on Jay's cheeks.

"That's because I had you to snuggle up with."

A wide smile splits Shego's face. She places a kiss on his forehead.

"Grant it, this is really weird with you as a guy, but I don't see a problem with me staying in here for the night if you don't."

Jay's mouth opens and closes several times, the blush working it's way across the rest of his body. He looks away and chuckles nervously.

"U-um… Would you mind?"

Shego chuckles at his behavior. She smirks evilly as she leans closer and breathes into his ear.

"Why would I mind? I offered, didn't I?"

Shego silently cheers in victory as Jay's blush darkens. Damn, it's just as fun to tease Kimmie in her male guise as it is when she's her normal self.

He nods mutely. She smiles. Taking the opportunity to fluster him more, she crawls over the top of him in her silk nightgown to settle down on his opposite side. She hears him gulp as she passes. She has a Cheshire grin on her face as Jay, still blushing madly, reaches to pull the blankets up over them.

For an awkward moment, neither of them move. Then, hesitantly, Jay rolls onto his side and gently wraps his arms around Shego. Shego turns to curl into him, his head tucked just under her chin. He sighs in relief, nuzzling her neck. Shego slides one arm under his head, the other draped across his shoulder. She buries her fingers in his hair.

"Goodnight Kimmie," she whispers in his ear. She feels his smile against her skin.

"Goodnight Shego."

(here's a deeper look into kimmie's past. Also, shows how much her life does affect her. Dunno, thought it would make her seem more human I guess. Anyway, let me know what you think!)


	9. Director's First Gift

Chpt 9

"Holy shit!" exclaims Jay. His eyes are wide with excitement, a huge grin on his face. "Holy shit!" he repeats enthusiastically. Wind ruffles his hair as he stares at the scene below him. He reaches behind him and pulls Shego forward. He points down below. "Look! Do you see that?! Isn't that awesome?!"

Shego's eyebrow lifts as she takes in the scene before her. She had to admit, it was amusing.

"What on earth did you do?" she asks. Jay smiles crookedly, mischief glowing in his eyes.

"Just gave her a little present."

Shego turns to give him a disbelieving look.

"Just a present? It's total chaos down there."

Jay beams as if praised.

"Of course! I wanted it to be!" He turns back to the scene, still all smiles. He snickers and points again. "Look! It's Dr. Director!" He laughs. "Dude, she's going ape shit!"

Shego follows the invisible line to see the Director running around and screaming orders. The woman is red in the face, steps harried as she waves her arms around in exasperation. All around her, agents are running in a panicked frenzy. Some are holding their faces and screaming. Some are shaking out their hair and swatting at their clothing. Some are stomping around at little things running beneath their feet. More agents keep showing up, adding to the confusion, causing the Director to become more agitated.

"Really, what did you do? What kind of gift could get that reaction?"

"Oh, just a little OC spray in the air vents, some rodents in her cupboards, and a few hundred bugs in about a dozen different parcels."

Shego gives him a hard look. He whistles, pretending innocence. She doesn't relent her glare. Jay squirms.

"And?" she prods. He taps his chin with his forefinger.

"Aaannnnd… I sent out a notice to all of her agents to return to base at once, that all their current missions were null and void."

Shego's jaw drops.

"You did what?! How?!"

Jay grins and rubs his hands together.

"Easy peasy. I got Wiz to hook me up a live feed and borrowed Dr. Director's face for a little… urgent business matter. All hush-hush of course."

Shego rolls her eyes.

"And the point of that was?"

"Well, it does add to the chaos to suddenly have all her agents appear on her doorstep and all their missions suddenly aborted…" He grins devilishly. "And it comes directly into play with my other plans."

"Those being?" she asks. Jay takes her completely by surprise by throwing his arms around her and squeezing her tight.

"Why, the best part!" he says cheerfully. "And you get to help me with it!"

Shego tries to look angry, but she can't wipe the confusion off her face.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Pumpkin. Either you start explaining, or we're going to have to get physical."

Jay's smirk becomes lecherous.

"Physical you say?"

Shego's eyes widen and she frees an arm enough to punch him in the arm.

"My god! You're a pervert too? Get you're head out of the gutter Pumpkin! Aren't we supposed to be causing Dr. Director some more grief?"

Jay pouts at her briefly before grinning again, loosening his hold enough he can turn to look at the chaos below while keeping a hold on her.

"I think we have enough chaos down there at the moment. It's not like our turn isn't coming up soon."

Shego frowns, a faint blush still on her cheeks.

"Yeah? And what exactly are we supposed to be doing?"

Jay sighs wistfully.

"You know, if I wasn't so intent upon keeping up my hero gig, I would totally go down there myself and unleash my Kimmieness."

Shego chokes on her laughter.

"Your Kimmieness?"

Jay leans forward and presses his forehead against hers.

"Oh, yes. You see, lil' Kimmie isn't always so sweet as can be. But, you already know that. And Jay makes just as much trouble as Kimmie could ever want."

"Oh really?" taunts Shego. She quirks a doubtful eyebrow. Jay steals a kiss before leaning back and grinning at her.

"Let me show you how my other half works." He nods at Mac and Yori, who had been standing quietly behind them. "Mac, our surprise party is just about to start." Jay looks at Shego. "And though I really honestly don't want to hide these beautiful looks," He gently runs a finger along her jaw. "I didn't work so hard to make sure your name was cleared just so you could tarnish it up again." He pulls out a watch similar to his own and puts it on her wrist. "Besides, I think you'll find your choices are rather amusing."

Shego looks down at the device and starts fiddling with the buttons. She scans the list of characters she could change into, a small smirk on her lips.

"I take it the last four are made up people?"

Jay shrugs.

"But of course. We can't accidentally have some one in a million chance of running into the real thing, now can we? Especially if you choose one to be your alter ego for any extended period of time."

Shego pushes the last button, and a white light envelopes her. When it clears, a blond woman, as tall as Shego is normally, is standing in her place. Jay nods appreciatively at her curvaceous body while smirking at the amused blue eyes staring back at him.

"Damn it!" rumbles Mac. Everyone turns to look at him as he digs into his pocket and pulls out forty dollars. He frowns as he holds it out to Jay. Jay grins as he takes the money and pockets it.

"Told you she would pick the blond." Jay turns to Shego who is glaring daggers at him. He shrugs. "What? You got a lot of pride in your figure, so I knew right away you'd go for a body similar to your own. Hot sauce!" He snaps his fingers. "You do look sexy! And here Wiz said she wouldn't even look twice at it!"

Shego's eyes narrow.

"Let me guess, you had a hand in designing it?"

"A hand?! Hell woman! I did design it! After yours truly." He gives her a quick peck on the lips before dodging her glowing fist.

She jerks to a halt, staring at her glowing fist.

"It's blue?!"

Jay runs a teasing hand down her arm.

"Doy! Keeping it green would make it that much more obvious. A little trick with the genetic make up configuration." He winks. "Not to mention the fact your plasma can't destroy the watch either. Aren't I a genius?"

Shego marveled at the brilliantly blue glow around her fist. She looks at the straight long blond hair just touching her waist. She huffs, sending her new bangs out of her eyes.

"Guess my old color scheme is out." She frowns as Jay continues to smirk at her. "What? You still got more up your sleeve?"

"Well, you did say your old color scheme needs a change…"

"How long have you been planning this?" She holds up a warning fist. "And I don't just mean this." She sweeps a hand down her figure in emphasis. Jay sticks his hands in his pockets, that ever confident smirk still on his lips.

"'Bout as long as it took me to realize that the one person I'd been chasing after for so long was seriously thinking about me as more then a foe."

Shego rolls her eyes.

"A little bit more detailed then that. Wait… Since what?! You mean you were after me before I asked you out?!"

Shego throws a punch at him when he laughs. He dodges as she follows up the attack with a quick combo.

"Actually, my fourth assassination contract was for your head. I didn't realize what you were capable of until I caught you the night you were stealing something from Oren. One look at Miss Go, and BANG! Hot sauce! I was totally stuck. You were fascinating. The way you moved, the way you worked… I've been hunting you down since the day you became the top most dangerous person in the world. Grant it, my employer is still pissed I haven't finished the job, especially after the whole thing with GJ came out. But, I figure I can dump that contract now and claim you for myself."

Without warning, he slips under her punch and pulls her into an embrace. She growls angrily.

"So basically, you've been playing me this whole time?"

Jay pouts at her.

"Aw, baby doll, don't say it like that. It wasn't like that at all. I thought you hated my guts, so I just acted the good lil hero and kept an eye on you as Jay." He nuzzles her cheek. "Honestly, I didn't realize I felt anything more then respect for you until this whole fiasco brought it into the lime light. I was seriously having doubts that any kind of relationship was possible between us."

Wiz snorts.

"Yeah, YOU two may have been oblivious to your feelings, but dude, everyone else knew a long time ago that you felt something a lot more then 'respect' for one another." Wiz glances at Mac. "Okay, Mac was a little clueless too."

"Hey!"

"Jay, you were just a little too in awe of her as your supposed 'mark'. After you ran into her under the hero gig, I knew it was a matter of time. Took you long enough."

Jay blushes and mutters something about 'nosy friends' under his breath.

"Basically," Jay says aloud. "We were actually hoping to recruit you a long time ago. The thing that held us back was when you hired yourself out under Dr. Drakken. I actually wondered if we should drop the idea after I found that out. Drakken isn't exactly reputable." Jay shrugs. "But, once I got a chance to fight you, I knew we should still try asking. There was still the doubt if we could trust you. We didn't have room to make that kind of mistake. We got the disguise ready as a form of incentive. We thought you might find it handy when you wanted to get around without the police bothering you."

Shego has a pondering look on her face.

"What exactly are you trying to achieve? To be planning this deeply, you've had to have some kind of goal in mind. What exactly are you trying to accomplish?"

Jay and Wiz glare at Mac when he opens his mouth.

"If you say world domination," they both threaten at the same time. "We're going to kick your ass and stuff you into DNAmy's pit of cuddle buddies."

Mac pales, his mouth snapping shut with an audible click. Wiz answers Shego, seeing as Jay is still glaring threateningly at Mac.

"We're actually peacekeepers. There's a lot more to it then that, but this isn't the place to discuss it." He waves a hand at the open hillside. "But, there is one thing I can say. Our world isn't the only place we have to try and keep safe."

Shego frowns at him.

"What are you talking about nerdling?"

Wiz frowns at the name, but continues.

"I told you, here isn't the place or time for that. Just know that we've found scientific proof that there are other worlds out there, similar and dissimilar to our own. To keep the peace here, we have to make sure no one knows about it."

Shego snorts.

"It sounds like some twisted version of MIB."

Wiz rubs his eyes in feigned tiredness.

"Something like that..."

Jay stops glaring at Mac to face Shego again.

"It's just another reason why I keep my charade up in the villainy community. To be able to make sure no one knows about it, I have to have connections on both sides of the law. Actually, we were going to have you steal an old artifact from a vault for us for your first mission." Jay whips Shego around and points down at the chaos still raging below. "But enough of that! We have a party to start!" Jay grins down at Shego. "My lady, my I have the name of my future partner in crime?"

Shego scrutinizes her blond hair.

"We should call her blondy!" crows Mac.

Shego spins out of Jay's arm and tosses a ball of plasma. Mac gulps as he looks at the charred ground in between his legs.

"How about not," she says darkly. Jay looks at Mac's pale face in amusement, and Wiz looks like he's trying hard to suppress a chuckle. Shego sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. Jay turns a critical eye on Shego's hair as she contemplates a name. He pulls out a hair tie and begins running his fingers through her thick blond hair. She relaxes at the touch. After a few moments of getting it in order, Jay pulls it all back into a low ponytail. He kisses her neck before stepping back to admire his handiwork. She spins around to look at him squarely. "So? What should my name be?"

Jay blanches.

"Uh… You want ME to pick one?"

She sighs in frustration.

"I can't think of any." She glares at Mac. "And I refuse to be called Blondy."

"How about youma," grumbles Mac. Jay's eyes suddenly brighten.

"What about Mania?!"

Shego frowns.

"Mania? Where the hell did you get that from?"

Jay winks at her.

"I think it suits you."

Shego rolls her eyes.

"Where did you get it from?" she repeats. Jay grins.

"A website off the internet. It was talking about demons or some such."

Shego's eyebrows shoot up.

"You were looking at a website about demons?"

"You'd be surprised how accurate they are," he says thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "Anyway, Mania was supposed to be the goddess of hell, if I remember correctly. You got the goddess part down," he says mischievously, motioning her curvy figure in the air with his hands. She bops him on the back of the head.

"Whatever. It will do." She crosses her arms and scowls at Mac while Jay rubs his sore head. "And I do know what youma are, buffoon. Call me that again, and I'll make sure to leave you extra crispy next time."

Mac laughs nervously, inching behind the Japanese assassin. Wiz sighs.

"Are we going to get to work any time soon? Dr. Director looks like she's starting to get things under control."

Jay reaches out and snatches Shego's wrist.

"Hurry! You gotta change woman!" He pushes her into the back of the hovercraft they had brought. He follows her in. The rest of the group shakes their head as they hear Shego shouting protests and Jay cackling.

"I swear, sometimes he doesn't seem like Kim at all," says Mac, wincing at a rather loud shriek of surprise.

"No, he just has way too much fun cutting loose," says Wiz, jumping slightly when the hovercraft lurches to the side then rocks back and forth and settles down. "What the hell are they doing in there?!"

The door opens and Mania stumbles out in a skintight blue tank top and a pair of black cargo pants hanging loosely from her waist. She has on a pair of black cutoff gloves and a pair of black shoes.

"What the hell is this?!" she demands. Jay comes sauntering out behind her, still smirking devilishly.

"A completely new look. You can't go running around in another cat suit. It would be way obvious." He comes up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. "Besides, the casual outfit is hot sauce!" He smiles cheerily. Mania scowls, but there is a slight blush on her cheeks. He laughs and kisses her cheek. "You should be glad I decided against the steel toed boots. Though they would look twice as hot, I know you like to be a bit stealthier then they'd allow."

Mania mutters something under her breath but doesn't argue the matter.

"Can we go now?" asks Wiz. He pointedly looks at his watch. Jay shrugs and picks up one of the jetpacks and a second bag. The others follow suit. Mania frowns at the second bag.

"What's in here?" She starts reaching for the zipper. Jay looks up from adjusting a strap and lunges over to her, grabbing her hands to still them.

"Not a good idea!" he says. Mania scowls at him. "You really want to wait until we're in the air and we're more… prepared."

Mania sighs in irritation and slings the bag under her arm.

"Meaning?"

Jay holds out a gasp mask.

"You're going to need this," he says with a wink.

(well, I'm not certain how much I like this chapter. Lol I'm getting impatient with my own story! Gotta get through the funnies and back to the action! Ah, I guess some opinions are in order lol. Let me know if you think this chapter doesn't do the story justice. If it's that bad, I'll redo it. I just seem to be having too much fun with my other story. Anywho, toodles)

PS: I left this story open for a crossover… dunno how that will turn out lol --scratches head-- don't even know what I'll cross it with yet . :) seriously! I need some reviews!


	10. Saying Hello

Chpt 10

(A/N: Yeah, see I'm supposed to be working on my non-fanfic story, but I opted for the fanfic anyway. At this rate, my story will remain at 50 pages for a while… haha, anyway, let's see what I come up with today.)

Dr. Director is running around in frustrated panic. It would be half as bad if everything didn't seem to be happening at once. Sadly, it's like someone decided to play several childish pranks all at the same time. She still can't decide if it is linked with Kim in some way or another.

"Stop running around screaming! Just go wash your face off!" shouts the Director. The damn pepper spray like stuff that had blasted through the vents was causing several agents to panic, unused to the pain of the simple item. For all their high tech gadgets, sometimes the old simple stuff could be the most effective because no one is prepared for it.

She stumbles as someone tumbles into her. She regains her balance to find a man on his knees and weeping before her.

"Make it stop! Make it stop burning!" he blubbers. She growls. How could such simple stuff make a grown man cry?!

"I told you to go wash your face!" she bellows. He whimpers.

"I tried! It made it burn worse!"

She blinks in slight shock. Worse? Oh hell! A woman agent runs by screaming, clawing at her hair and clothes as if trying to remove them from her body. Director frowns as the woman races on. This is getting ridiculous!

"Will you all just calm down! Things can be sorted out! They're just a bunch of bugs, some rodents, and some measly pepper spray!" She rolls her eye as she watches several people seeming to stomp around as of impersonating some weird off beat dance. Someone taps her on the shoulder. "WHAT?!" she growls.

The agent looks startled by the shout, nervously looking at the chaos around them. He clears his throat and pops a salute.

"Returning to base as commanded, Ma'am!"

She scowls at him.

"What are you talking about? I didn't order you to return to base."

Several more agents come up behind him, popping salutes.

"Returning to base as commanded, Ma'am!" they crow.

"What the hell are you talking about?! I didn't order ANY of you back to base! Why aren't you out on your missions?!" she bellows. They glance at each other in confusion. The first man speaks up.

"Yes you did, Ma'am. You said we had urgent business, and that it was top secret."

"What?! I said no such thing!" She watches in growing horror as more and more of them start trickling in. The people with the pepper spray are running into them and giving them second hand exposure. The bugs and rodents are causing them to jump about in shock.

What the Hell is going on?!

A loud shriek fills the air. All eyes turn to a female agent pointing up into the sky. All gazes turn upwards. Mouths drop open and everyone is frozen in place as a heavy yellow gas floats down from above. Dr. Director squints and makes out five shadows hidden behind the gas.

"Shit!" someone close by mutters.

The tear gas hits. The sounds of choking and gagging fill the air. Dr. Director turns a tearful gaze to those around her. Many are panicking, running in all directions to somehow escape the horrible gas. Many of the agents' noses are running like mad, their eyes squeezed shut, and tears pouring down their faces. Dr. Director's breathing isn't affected like some, but her eye is burning like mad. It doesn't help that she only has the one eye either. There is no way to control the chaos now. It's massively out of control.

Kim's threats hang over her head. It would be something the redhead would pull, because as of yet, it hadn't involved serious bodily harm or killing. A loud whoop pulls her attention back to the sky.

Five figures descend and touch ground, jetpacks powering down once their feet touch the pavement. Dr. Director glares at them. The gas is thick, so she can't distinguish them too well, and they're all obviously wearing masks of some sort.

A sudden gust of wind rips through the valley, quickly sweeping away the tear gas to reveal the new intruders and the caged agents standing around in stunned silence. The bugs and rodents seemed to have dispersed and the only agents still bothered are the ones that caught the brunt of the pepper spray and tear gas.

A man steps forward out of the five and removes his mask. Dr. Director's eyes narrow. He speaks before she gets the chance.

"Dr. Director, it's great to finally meet you in person," he says. He mock salutes her with two fingers. "You might not know me, but I'm the Lone Wolf." He glances behind him at the other figures. "And they're my pack."

"Doesn't 'lone' imply you don't work with others?" the Director asks impassively. He merely grins.

"I might have to change my title subtly, but it doesn't really matter. In any case, we're here for a bit of fun." He looks around at the massive cluster of agents. "Anyone here worth a challenge?"

Dr. Director fights to keep her face emotionless.

"You came here just to pick a fight? You're in the middle of a secret organizations home base, and you think you're going to walk out of it alive?"

"Ma'am, I've got quite the reputation in the underground. If I wasn't able to be ballsy enough to pull a stunt like this, I wouldn't be living up to my name." He smirks mischievously. "And trust me, that name is quite a handful to keep up."

Dr. Director remains unaffected.

"What's your real name?"

He shrugs.

"You can call me Jay, if you like." He glances over his shoulder at his companions. "Hey ya'll, go pick out your own fun."

The Director blinks as the others grin and break off in separate directions. Jay turns back to the Director.

"And you are after?" she asks darkly.

"Me? I wanted to test out the infamous Dr. Directors fighting style. I don't really know what it is, but it's supposedly pretty popular among the stronger martial artists." He shrugs again. "That and I hear it's quite similar to a popular nemesis of mine." He cocks his head to the side. "If you will?"

Dr. Director hesitates. She shouldn't have to get involved with any of this. She scans the area for Agent Du.

He's facing off with some busty blond. His face is tight as he desperately tries to hold off her swift attacks. It's obvious that the blond is forcing him to retreat, easily cornering him. She lashes out and knocks him upside the head with a sharp kick. He crumbles to the ground. Dr. Director growls, turning her attention to the man in front of her.

She attacks swiftly, hand jabbing forward with fingers extended. Jay turns to the side, allowing the attack to fly past his chest. She immediately pivots and changes the direction of her hand to swing upward in a sharp cutting motion. Jay merely leans back and watches the attack wiz past his face. The Director scowls, upping her speed as well as her tactics.

She sweeps her legs out to trip him, but Jay flips backwards, hands stuffed into his pockets. That only irks her more. She dashes at him, hands flying in multiple quick jabs, forcing him to back up. She presses on harder, adjusting one of the attacks to come up at the last second and strike him solidly under the chin. His head snaps back, and he stumbles away a couple steps. Betty is smirking on the inside, but she forces her face to remain impassive.

Jay rubs his chin with a thoughtful look.

"Guess I _will_ have to take you seriously." He dashes forward and whips out his hand.

She ducks in shock, the blow ruffling her hair as it passes over her head. She looks down to see his knee heading for her face. She lurches to the side, barely avoiding the second attack. She kicks out at him, but he sidesteps it and counters with a kick of his own. It connects with her side, sending her stumbling. She struggles to regain her balance, spinning to prepare for an oncoming attack. She's shocked to find Jay waiting patiently for her to regain her balance. Her eyes narrow.

"You fight honorably."

Jay laughs.

"Is that what you think?" he asks. He shakes his head in mirth, brown eyes snapping with a vast amount of hidden potential. Betty has to force down a shudder. "Director dear, you're not worth fighting dirty with. It would end much too quickly and I wouldn't get a chance to study your style of fighting."

She gapes, the man having seemingly disappeared. She jerks violently when he whispers in her ear.

"If you truly wish to see me fight, you better work on becoming more of a threat. Otherwise, you're simply another simpering body among the masses that will ultimately fall beneath my feet."

How the hell did he get there?!

She curses silently to herself, spinning around with a knee aimed for his kidney. By the time she turns around, he's no longer there. He gently taps her on the shoulder. Her heart leaps into her throat. She pivots around with her elbow held high, but he's not there again. She feels her frustration growing as she turns again.

He's standing a few feet away, grinning. He holds out his hands, as if asking "well?".

The Director frowns, trying to calm herself. Getting frustrated and angry would only hinder her capabilities. To be honest, she hadn't met this kind of challenge for a long time. It's like he's deliberately taunting her. Even Kim Possible hadn't given her such a challenge. Possible's style of fighting is completely different. When he had backed off when she was recovering her balance, she had briefly been reminded of Kim, but as soon as he showed up behind her without warning, she could feel the difference.

Jay is stalking her, playing with his prey. He's testing her out and wearing her down. She can tell by his confident smirk that he isn't pulling out all the guns. He's waiting. He's saving whatever he has hidden for later. Betty readjusts her stance. It's more then likely he's saving it for a future surprise. Either way, it isn't looking good.

She leaps forward, kicking out at his head. He catches the foot and flings it aside. Betty rolls in the air with the momentum, twisting around to land in a crouch. She springs at him, hands moving in a blur. Jay's eyes sparkle slightly. He notes the sudden increase in speed and accuracy of the Director's attacks. He takes care to block all of her swift attacks, keeping a careful eye on the woman in case she'll pull another unexpected stunt.

"Shit!"

Jay looks away from Betty when he hears Mania's shout. He spots her holding her side and glaring down at a frightened agent. He's holding a pistol in his shaking hand, eyes wide as he stares at Mania. Mania is clutching her side, and he can see some blood seeping between her fingers.

"Mania, love, are you _losing_?" he teases. He can tell by her face that the bullet had only grazed her.

She shoots him a dark glare.

"Like HELL I would lose to such a pathetic excuse of a human being!" she growls. She strikes the agent in the chin with a kick. The man is thrown up into the air. When he lands, he doesn't get back up. Mania glances at her wound and rolls her eyes. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a square patch about the size of her palm. She slaps it over the wound and moodily searches for a new victim.

WHACK!

Jay is sent flying to the side. He plants his hands on the ground and flips into a crouch. He stares at the Director a moment, wiping away the blood from his split lip. He lifts a dark eyebrow.

"Not paying enough attention to you, is that it?" he taunts. "Seems you're feeling left out. We must remedy that."

Dr. Director's smirk fades as she sees the fire in his eyes.

He lunges at her, taking her completely by surprise. She blocks his punch to her face, and it feels like someone had struck her arms with a metal bat. He lashes out with a kick, catching her in the gut. She coughs and backs away. He follows with a roundhouse kick then a sidekick. She barely manages to deflect them, and her arms start going numb. She winces as he lands a sound kick to her ribs. She flies through the air and barely manages to recover from her roll to fall into a defensive crouch.

Jay glances at his watch. He frowns.

"Hey!" he bellows over his shoulder. "Time's up! We have another appointment to attend to!"

The others immediately fall back. He looks down at the Director.

"Already on the run?" she asks, part of her brain screaming at her that it's stupid to provoke the man. He had obviously overtaken her AND her entire agency.

"Not to worry Director, we're not done with you yet." He stalks forward, and he pins her down under his brown eyed gaze. She's horrified that she can't make her body move just because how he's looking at her. She doesn't see his hand move. Just as her world goes black, she hears him speak. "Consider this a hello."


	11. Demons and Wizards? Yeah right

Chpt 11

Shego is watching Kim pace the room. The redhead had been at it for the past hour. It's driving the raven haired woman insane. The hero would just not sit down! Huffing, she reaches out and grabs the girl, pulling the redhead into her lap. She sighs in relief. She really is sick of the pacing.

"What's got you all worked up?" asks Shego. She honestly doesn't want to know, but if it got the girl in her arms to stop pacing, she would ask.

Kim shakes her head.

"Something's up," replies the redhead, earning a confused look from her captor.

"Something's up? Kimmie, that really doesn't explain anything."

The redhead huffs, looking slightly cross as she squirms in the older woman's lap.

"Something's stirring in the Blackmarket. Something's going down, something big."

Shego can't help but roll her eyes.

"When is something big NOT going down?" she questions. Kim manages to twist around enough to look up into the raven haired woman's green eyes.

"Shego dear, I'm serious. Something NOT normal is up. Maybe I should say beyond Blackmarket normal. I'm talking about serious messed up stuff."

"You're not making things any clearer, Kimmie. If anything, you're making me more confused. What the hell could be worse or messed up then what goes on down there already?"

Kim shakes her head.

"You don't understand. There's more out there then just our world. We already told you that. What concerns me is that this thing that's happening could involve that."

Shego pauses to consider that.

"Aren't you guys tightly wired into the system enough that any tampering or changes would instantly alert you?"

"We are, but that isn't always enough," answers Kim, only looking more worried. "I've become quite an accomplished villain in the underworld. I won't argue the fact that I've overstepped some of my hero boundaries more then I should have, but to be honest, there have been pressing reasons to do so." She runs an agitated hand through her red hair. "Shego, thing's are not nearly so peaceful as they seem."

Shego lets out a barking laugh.

"Peaceful? I don't see mad scientists trying to conquer the world as peaceful. Grant it, they're all idiots and are easily dealt with, but they still pose a threat. Not only that, the darker threats hidden in alleyways and sewers are always bustling just behind the scenes. What on earth do you see peaceful about this place?"

Kim cracks a smile at that.

"Okay, I'll give you that. Still, we do maintain some sort of peace. Albeit it is a shaky peace, it's still there. This thing though… This thing will knock everything off balance."

"What are you so worried about? What is this 'thing'?"

Kim rubs her forehead.

"I was serious when I said that that site was rather accurate in their demon description. Why? Because I've run into a few of them."

Shego does manage too look at her in disbelief. Yes, she dealt with mad scientists and odd things like the mystical monkey powers. But that wasn't anything seriously paranormal or unexplainable. Demons aren't supposed to exist. Plain and simple.

"Kimmie, either you hit your head and I don't know about it, or you're seriously delusional."

Kim looks irked by that. If she was Jay, she would cuff her girlfriend upside the head.

"I'm serious. And no, I didn't hit my head and I'm not delusional. You'll see them yourself soon enough. They aren't a laughing matter."

Shego frowns.

"You can't be serious. Demons?"

Kim nods, looking away.

"Demons and worse. You really have no idea what GJ's been hiding from everyone."

Shego's eyes widen.

"What does GJ have to do with it?" She isn't pleased by the thought that GJ had their fingers in deeper matters that not even she or the Blackmarket knew of. It certainly isn't a good thing to think upon, especially the way Kim seems so furious with its leader at the moment.

Kim sighs at the furrow in Shego's brow. She hadn't meant to upset the woman. She just wanted her to take her more seriously.

"Look Shego, I just want to warn you that something's coming. To be honest, I hardly have a credible idea at what to this 'thing' is. I just know it's big, it's not good, and it's going to cause such a scandal that our world would possibly fall into chaos. My entire plan is to keep that from happening. Ever. To do that, I have to get a jump on things. My first goal is to get Wiz to send Jay and company over to check it out."

Shego frowns.

"You're sending a villain to do a hero's job? I don't quite see the logic in that Princess."

Kim finally smiles, though it's small.

"Actually, Jay has a lot more maneuverability then I do."

"How so?" counters Shego. "Villains aren't popular Kimmie."

"On a new world, he makes any first impression I so desire, be it hero or villain. Also, it helps to have a face to hide behind should an impression I don't want to make is accidentally made. For example, if I want the bad guys to assume I'm on their side because they're in charge at the moment, I would need Jay's face and credibility to back it. But, since I'm able to act more freely, I could also use Jay's more relaxed and flamboyant attitude to calm people and slide into the role of half hazard hero."

"Half hazard hero?" echoes the raven haired woman. "How do you get a half hazard hero and any kind of backing behind it?"

Kim laughs.

"Perfect example, Ron."

"The buffoon?!" she cries in disbelief. "How is that fool a hero?!"

"Exactly my point. Jay has the personality to be heroic, but at the same time, so obviously not heroic, that he would not be expected to run to the aid of everyone in need of help. He would pick his battles more carefully, deciding what really required his attention and what he didn't really want to bother with. No one would think to question him on it."

Shego is obviously not thrilled about the idea, but she can't exactly argue the logic either.

"Fine Princess, what's our first battle."

"We're going to visit some wizards."

"…'Scuse me?" Shego pretends to clean out her ear and lean closer to the redhead. The redhead huffs playfully and pokes the pale woman in the ribs.

"I'm really not joking," she answered. Shego doesn't seem to be budging on the topic. Kim rolls her eyes. "Okay, and here I thought you would take the wizards better then the demons because the wizards at least look human."

Shego slowly shakes her head.

"Princess, the whole idea is insane."

"So is a woman who can sling plasma, but you obviously have that talent down to an art," remarks Kim coolly. Shego lifts an eyebrow, knowing if Jay had said the same sentence, he would be grinning rather lecherously at her. Shego pokes Kim experimentally. Kim yelps and grabs the offending hand. "What was that for?!" she demands.

"For the dirty thoughts I know that are lurking there behind that sentence. Now that I've had a taste of 'unchained' Kimmie in the form of Jay, I have an idea as to what kind of thoughts are running behind such statements." That earns the green skinned woman a blush from her captive. Shego smiles smugly as Kim mutters something under her breath. "And that, my Princess, was in the form of some very snarky cursing, which Jay wouldn't have been the least bit remorseful in belting out."

Kim glares at her half heartedly, half of her sheepish for being suddenly easy to read.

"So I'm a little bit less frugal then I am as myself. I do have an image to uphold." She pouts, earning a lazy smile from her captor.

"To be honest Kimmie, either way I find you entertaining. It only makes it more fun to tease you when I know you restrain yourself from lashing back when you're in hero mode. Call it revenge for being so snarky with me as Jay."

Shego leans forward and nuzzles Kim's neck, one hand tracing circles on the redhead's washboard stomach. Kim immediately responds to the touch, sagging back into Shego with a happy sigh. The noise brings a smile to Shego's face. She places a soft kiss on her captive's neck.

"Must admit though," Shego remarks out of the blue. "This is a hell of a lot better with the body I fell in love with then some strangers."

Kim blushes, and Shego grins and places another kiss on the redheads exposed neck. Oh, paybacks are sweet.

-----In the middle of a lake----

Jay stands tall against the fading sunlight. The boat beneath him rocks gently in the water as he watches the horizon patiently. Mania and Mac are sitting on either side of him, both a little wary of his standing act, in fear he would tip them. Not a pleasant thought, seeing as they kept getting glimpses of things moving beneath the little boat. The two of them are silently cursing Wiz for dumping them in the middle of a freaking lake in something not even remotely mechanical and hardly stable enough to hold all three of them. They owe the genius for his handy work.

Jay seems unfazed, grinning broadly into the wind. Suddenly, all three of them are aware of another presence. There's a man hovering above the water, seemingly nothing more then a ghost. Shego can only gawk, and Mac just shivers. Jay gives his customary salute.

"Dumbledore! Old fellow! How are you doing this fine evening?" Jay asked. The ghost chuckles, looking wise but merry.

"Fair enough for being dead," he comments. "You are seeking answers?"

Jay nods.

"I will not dally long, for I know it causes a ruckus among your fellows, but I must get some information."

"Speak on." The old man waves a hand at him.

"I have an inkling a power will be building soon, one far worse then even the one that haunts your world. My concern is that it will not stop with the world it comes from, but will also bleed into others, such as your own and mine. Can you help me place what this intruder will be?"

Dumbledore strokes his beard, looking thoughtfully at the darkening sky.

"To be honest, I've not seen the like before. It seems your threat is something I haven't encountered and cannot describe for you."

Jay frowns slightly, obviously troubled.

"I see. Thank you." He looks up at the man again. "Is your pupil doing well?"

"Ah, young Potter may have a chance yet. I haven't given up on the young man. Though his foe is no laughing matter, I am certain he shall amaze us all."

Jay smiles.

"I wish him luck. Seeing as I have my own world to protect, I'll leave yours in your capable hands. Sorry to come under such duress."

The old man clucks and waves it off.

"Just come back for an update and we'll call it even."

Jay smiles, saluting the man once more.

"Good flying to you, sir."

"Careful dimension jumping to you," replies the old man, laughing as he disappears from sight.

Jay looks down at his watch.

"Wiz, send us to Sunnydale."

To Mania's surprise, both Mac and Wiz gulp.

"Are you certain?" asks Wiz, only piquing the ex…, or is it current, thief's curiosity?

Jay only nods.

"I must speak with a certain slayer immediately."

Wiz still tries to change his mind.

"But it seems rather odd for the problem to come from there. After all, they keep a tight rein on things. Do we really need to bother them?" he asks, unable to completely hide the worry in his voice. Now fully entertained by the conversation, Mania leans closer as Jay waves his free hand impatiently.

"Yes I'm sure! I wouldn't bother going there if I wasn't!"

Mac and Wiz wince, and Mania is ready to ask what the heck they're talking about, but Wiz interrupts her.

"Fine. Jump commencing."

In a blink of light, the boat and all three of its passengers, disappear.

(A/N: so, what you think? Did I pull off the crossover alright so far? lol, at this point, some input or thoughts would be greatly appriciated! to the next chpt! er story... both of those things... haha)


	12. Don't pull your punches

Chpt 12

Shego has just dropped her disguise, looking around the dark cemetery. Kim and Ron have dropped their personas as well. Kim is standing in the forefront, fidgeting.

Wiz had been waiting for them when they showed up, looking slightly cross. That had taken the thief by surprise. She knew he had sounded nervous, but to actually show up for the mission was something else.

Shego squints as a handful of figures start forming in the mist.

Wiz looks at Ron. Ron nods.

Before Shego can protest, both of them move to grasp either of her arms and successfully handcuff her.

"What the hell?!" she growls. Kim glances back at them, but to Shego's shock, doesn't move to intervene.

"Actually, wish I had thought of it," Kim mumbles, but Shego catches it. Her jaw drops.

She focuses her attention on her hands and wrists. A green glow forms around her hands. She waits for the telltale feel of melting metal, but nothing happens. She turns a dark glare on Wiz.

"What the hell are you doing?" she seethes. Wiz just shrugs.

"Actually, this is for your own good. You'll see why in just a moment."

Shego is just about to protest, but the clearing of a throat grabs her attention. Five figures are standing in front of them. Both groups look wary.

A short blond walks forward, and…

POW!

Kim flies to the side. Shego's eyes nearly bug out of her head.

Kim shakes her head to clear it as she gets to her feet. The blond is already stalking towards her. Kim just stands there as the blond punches her again. Both parties wince at the sound of contact as they watch Kim go sailing over a headstone.

"Why the hell aren't you fighting back, Princess?!" shouts Shego. She struggles against the cuffs, to get to her feet, but Wiz and Ron successfully keep her pinned. She turns her glare on them. "Why the hell is she letting that bimbo kick her around like that?!"

Wiz sighs.

"Long story."

"Then give me the fucking short version!" growls Shego. Wiz rubs at his face in pent up frustration.

"The short of it is that Kim left at a rather… bad time."

Ron rolls his eyes.

"More like they're both so alike, it's easy to piss each other off."

All three of them watch as Kim is kicked high into the air and lands roughly on top of a praying angel. Kim groans, moving a bit slower after that hit. The blond follows her, still seeming relentless in her task. The redhead just manages a sitting position when the blond is before her. Everyone catches their breath, waiting for the next blow. The blond reaches out and yanks Kim…

…right into an embrace.

Shego's head feels like it just dropped off a cliff. She just stares. Even the others seem just as shocked, all of them gaping at the two of them.

Kim sighs, closing her eyes in slight frustration.

"Uh…Buffy?" says a voice. Some young teen is fidgeting next to the other strangers. Shego can't process that the girl even spoke. She's too dumbstruck.

The blond pulls away from Kim, managing to look pissed off and worried at the same time.

"Where have you been?"

Kim sighs again, rubbing her sore jaw.

"Out saving the world," Kim answers. She shrugs. "What I always do."

Buffy narrows her eyes.

"You know that's not what I'm asking."

Kim meets her glare with a simple stare.

"Look, I'm really sorry. If I had a choice, I would have stayed to help. You know that."

"Really? You sure about that?" asks Buffy. Kim doesn't flinch. She calmly stares at the blond until she relents.

"Buffy, something came up."

Buffy glares at her again.

"Something _always_ comes up."

Kim sighs, rubbing her forehead.

"Buffy, something always comes up with you too. Did I not ask for help in the Venice incident? And, did you not have something come up and couldn't show?"

Buffy frowns, looking away.

"But I didn't leave this dimension." Buffy looks at her again. "You completely left this world. You didn't come back."

Kim flinches. It was true. She hadn't come back. She didn't get the chance.

"I'm sorry," Kim says softly. She looks down at her hands. Her brow furrows. "There… are a lot of things that happened. There wasn't a chance to come back."

Shego is looking back and forth between the two. She felt her frustration and anger build, but it only boiled so because it was trying to hide the hurt she felt. The way Kim and the blond talked, it was like they were old girlfriends. That didn't sit well with the raven haired woman at all.

"Someone better damned well explain WHAT the hell is going on here before I fry your asses!"

Kim looks over at her sheepishly.

"Sorry 'bout that. Shego. This is Buffy. That's Dawn, Willow, Giles, and Faith. Gang, this is Shego."

Shego fixes them all with a glare, which is returned by Buffy.

"Still not getting the full picture, Princess." Shego turns a hard look on Kim. Kim looks in her eyes. She frowns slightly at the hurt she can see there.

Kim leaps over a headstone and kneels next to Shego. Ron and Wiz give her wary looks, obviously worried about what would happen if Shego were released. She ignores them. She removes the handcuffs, keeping a secure grip on Shego's arm.

Shego looks down at the hand darkly. She looks up again, locking Kim in her gaze, practically pleading the hero to explain what's going on.

"I told you once before, Shego," Kim says gently. "There's a lot about me you don't know." She glances behind her. "I used to… I used to live here for a time."

That got Shego's immediate attention.

"You lived here?! How the hell did you live here?!"

Kim pulls Shego to her feet.

"So the drama," she mutters before turning to look out across the cemetery. "There was a time I lived here. Granted, it was only for a summer, but that summer… Well, a lot can happen in just one summer."

Shego rolls her eyes.

"You're speaking to the woman who was declared one of the ten most wanted in one summer. Cut the crap and fill me in." Shego fixes her burning gaze on Kim's back.

It's Buffy's turn to look confused and slightly irritated. Kim speaks before she can say anything.

"For an entire summer, when everyone thought I was at camp, I was here."

"Doing what, exactly?" demands Shego.

Kim wheels around with a smirk.

"Saving the day, of course."

Shego rolls her eyes.

"You're skills have improved Kimmie, but I can still kick your ass."

"So you like to think," remarks Kim, adding a wink. Shego blinks then she grimaces. She reaches out and bops Kim on the head, earning startled looks from the others present.

"And following that train of thought, you have your head completely in the gutter. Seriously Kimmie, if you were Jay right now, you'd have that weird ass smirk on your face again."

Kim pouts innocently.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She tries to remain abashed, but under Shego's stern look, her face splits into a wide grin. "Okay, okay, admittedly, I would probably be smirking." She taps her chin. "For a good reason too." A small, almost secretive smirk crosses her face.

Shego bops her again.

"Seriously Princess, knock it off. You're creeping me out."

That did earn a hurt look, making Shego look away uncomfortably.

"Ugh, what am I to do with you?" she mutters crossly. She waves a hand around them. "So, you were here for a summer, saving the day. What were you saving it from? More crackpot villains who think they should rule the world?"

Kim laughs.

"No way! All those are left in our world."

"So only we get the loonies? Fantastic," growls Shego. Kim giggles, continuing the explanation.

"No, the threats here are definitely more serious. The stuff I fight here could seriously take over the world, and ruin it without much effort, if the Slayers weren't around."

"Slayers?" echoes Shego. She frowns. "What exactly are you slaying, Princess?"

"Vampires," Kim says deadpan.

Shego stands there waiting.

Kim doesn't say anything.

Shego's frown deepens.

"You're serious?" she asks. "Vampires? Aw hell, this is worse then the damn wizards!" She jabs an accusing finger at Kim. "How many more things are you going to throw at me? All this stuff isn't supposed to exist!"

Kim shrugs.

"Imagine my surprise when the stupid bloodsucker nearly took a bite out of me."

Shego scowls.

"It did what?" Shego immediately tenses up, claws flexing in anger.

Kim's eyes widen and she quickly reaches out to take hold of the raven-haired woman's arm.

"It's alright though. Buffy dusted the guy. I'm still bite-mark free." She points to her unmarred neck. Shego calms slightly, but she still looks overly alert.

"Princess, you're closet is looking mighty deep. How many things haven't you told me of yet?"

Kim laughs nervously, scratching the bridge of her nose.

"Well, let's see…" Kim holds out her free hand, beginning to mumble and tick off things. "There was that… Oh! And that, and then after that there was that…"

Shego watches as Kim goes through all ten fingers… and keeps going! Shego rubs her eyes in irritation.

"Okay, okay! I get it Princess! Just make a point of explaining things BEFORE we end up surrounded by-"

"Kim, watch out!"

A dark form lunges at the hero. Shego and Kim move at the exact same time.

Shego reaches out and snatches the guy's collar, jerking him to a halt. Kim whips out a wooden stake and thrusts it deep into the guy's chest. Shego barely has time to spot his fangs before he disperses into a cloud of dust.

Shego is left staring at her empty hand. Kim is watching her with a smirk.

"Believe me now?" asks the redhead. Shego growls and grabs Kim by the chin.

"You've been fighting that?!" she yells. "That thing was a freakin' blur! How the hell do you fight something like that?!"

"It's all about the Slayers," answers Kim. Shego grinds her teeth. "Let me explain. Slayers inherit their power from deceased Slayers. When an old Slayer dies, a new one is born. Slayers gain heightened physical abilities that allow them to keep up with things such as vampires, as well as detect them easier. For example, my hearing and sense of smell has improved. And, if you've paid any attention to our fights, after that summer I was gone, I was suddenly stronger and faster, even though I held back a portion of my power."

Shego gives her a hard look.

"You've been holding back on me?" Shego's eyes narrow. "That pisses me off."

She swings at Kim's head. Kim ducks. She vaults away as Shego lashes out with a kick.

"Shego! Knock it off!" calls Wade, voice laced with worry and surprise. The attack had been instantaneous, after all.

Shego ignores him, chasing Kim and throwing out another punch. Kim deflects it, eyes locked with Shego's. The green skinned woman growls, speeding up her attacks, leg arching through the air and missing Kim's chin by a hair. Kim's own speed increases in response. Both begin weaving in and out of headstones, Shego attacking, Kim blocking.

"Why the hell are you holding back Princess? Am I not good enough to go at full strength?" She slashes at Kim, claws a breath away from the hero's face.

Kim frowns, vaulting over a headstone and landing in a crouch on the shoulders of a stone angel.

"You've never exactly gone at it full tilt either, Shego. You expect me to believe your super powers are incapable of doing more then what you've shown? You're a good enough villain to know when to hide your ace in the hole."

"Will you two knock it off?" demands Wade, taking a step towards them. "We don't have time for this!"

Both women turn to glare at him.

"Back off Nerdlinger," growls Shego. He swallows, not moving further. Faith snickers, amused by Shego's obvoius attitude.

Shego is facing Kim again.

She doesn't want to admit it, but it severely hurt her pride to hear the hero admit to never having taken their fights seriously. If she wasn't even going at it a hundred percent, what did that mean? Did the redhead not understand how much she prided herself on her fighting skills? If the redhead could dish out more, why the hell was she holding back? She thought the redhead would at least respect her enough to fight with all her strength.

Kim feels a pang of guilt when she looks into the raven haired woman's eyes. She can read the woman well enough to know what the thief is thinking. She sighs. She would have to prove herself without words this time. She clenches her jaw and allows her full strength to flow into her. She launches herself at Shego.

Shego, nearly unprepared for the attack, almost lets the fist connect with her jaw. She barely has time to jerk her head back enough to avoid the blow. She allows her momentum to carry her backwards, placing her hands on the ground and flipping out of the way. Kim is right on top of her when she ends her flip. She dodges to the side to avoid a kick to the gut. She allows her own powers to grow, to build, encasing her in a soft glowing green light. She retaliates with a quick jab into Kim's ribs. Kim rolls away to the right, side aching.

Kim can't help but grin. She hadn't been able to fight anyone at her full strength. The fact that Shego is matching her speed and strength excites her. Her blood rushes through her veins. Her heart hammers in her chest excitedly. She can barely keep her breathing steady, her lungs aching to shout out a warcry.

As soon as Shego spots the grin, the excitement bubbling up in Kim making her tremble, she feels her own body respond. Her customary smirk graces her lips, and she puts more power into her hands, sending them glowing brighter, fuller.

"Ready to get serious, Princess?"

Kim can't even muster a comeback. She dashes forward, foot headed straight for Shego's head. Shego ducks, sweeping out with her foot to knock the hero off balance. Kim leaps over the foot, kicking out again. Shego drops to the ground then pounces forward, claws extended. Kim backpedals, one hand sweeping away the attack while the other reaches down to brace herself as she flips over a headstone. As soon as Kim rights herself, she's lashing out with a volley of punches. Shego dodges most of them, blocking the few she can't. Shego flips backwards and uses a tall headstone to rebound off of and launch herself straight into Kim.

Kim grunts as Shego's shoulder rams into her stomach. She's sent flying backwards, Shego keeping her trapped in her grasp. The landing is rough, leaving Kim slightly breathless. Without pause, Kim kicks off the ground and tosses Shego over her head. Keeping a tight grip on Shego, she rolls backwards and lands on Shego's stomach, pinning the raven haired woman beneath her.

Shego stares up at the redhead, her breath coming in short little gasps. Kim herself is breathing hard, eyes lit up with excitement. Both of them are grinning at each other.

"How was that?" asks Kim, her grip remaining tight to keep the taller woman pinned beneath her.

"Not too bad, Pumpkin. Didn't think you had it in you."

Kim grins impishly, and, before she registers Shego's movement, the raven haired beauty thrusts her torso off the ground to capture Kim's lips with her own.

"Wow," says a brunette off to the side. She gives Buffy a sidelong glance, a smirk on her face. "Get any good pointers out of that?" she asks.

Buffy stares at her blankly for a moment, still caught up in the shocking speed and grace in which the two had fought. It takes a longer pause for her to fully understand the meaning behind the brunette's words and smirk. She blushes and looks away from the brunette quickly.

"Shut up, Faith."

**A/N:** Ok, so did I get the characters right? Can you see that happening? Of course there's more to Kim's stay in Buffy's world, but I couldn't resist throwing in a fight scene between K/S. I really see Shego getting upset about Kim holding back, even if she'd been holding back herself. Dunno. Hope you like it.


	13. What science imagines

Chpt 13---

Shego is grinning like a fool. Kim is sitting next to her looking dazed. Everyone else is crowded around each other. All but four look comfortable sitting in the dark cemetery. Buffy sighs.

"Kim, what's going on? What's brought you back after all this time?"

Kim shakes herself from her daze, eyes darting to Buffy. She leans back against a headstone and looks up at the stars.

"We have a large threat headed our way. I was hoping you might have heard something about it and could relay some good info."

"Large threat like how?" asks Buffy. She waves a hand around them. "Anything like what we've dealt with here?"

Kim frowns moving forward to rest her forearms on her knees.

"Like nothing any of us have ever dealt with." Kim frowns. "I'm guessing that means you haven't heard anything."

Buffy crosses her arms and leans against a statue.

"We have been hearing whispers from the current demons we've been keeping track of. We were actually surprised they seemed to have backed off somewhat."

Kim's frown deepens.

"That doesn't sound good. Either they know this power is coming and will align with it, or they're too afraid to do anything without knowing exactly what it is they'll be facing." She rubs her head in irritation. "We've still got nothing to go on."

Shego quirks her head to the side.

"How many worlds does that make then?"

Kim shrugs.

"There are countless worlds out there. The main ones I'm worried about are the ones that are closely related to ours." Kim shakes her head. "Even still, I can already tell you that the other worlds won't have any information of value. Only these two worlds have the skills to unearth what we need. If they can't do it, I know for certain the others can't."

Shego lifts one foot to rest on the bench, arm lazily slung over her knee.

"So basically, we're screwed."

Kim stood up and began pacing.

"Basically, we are." The redhead pauses to look up at the sky again. Buffy frowns at them.

"So, what exactly do you think is threatening your world?" she asks. Kim turns to the blond with a worried frown.

"What's bad about this whole thing is it doesn't just effect our world. It's going to go through your world too. What I'm worried about is it's nothing like we've ever seen. I can't tell you more because I don't know myself. I just know somethings coming."

Ron speaks up, hand slightly held in the air to get their attention.

"KP, I know you're worried about this, but what makes you so sure something is coming? No one else has heard anything."

Kim shakes her head, brow still puckered in worry.

"I don't know. I just… know. I have this feeling, this…" She sighs. "For all our sakes, I'm hoping I'm wrong. But, I don't ever trust my future to hoping the bad guys won't show. If I did that, everything would have fallen apart ages ago."

Shego is giving her an amused smirk, fingers idly drumming on the stone bench. Before Kim can ask her anything, Wiz speaks up.

"Well, this trip did us no good. We're going to have to start from square one again." He gets to his feet. "Thanks for your help," he says. He hesitates. "Tell Xander I've got his game ready. I'll bring it by next time I have a chance."

"Will do," says Dawn, smiling brightly.

"You're leaving already?" asks Buffy, pointedly looking at Kim. Kim shrugs helplessly.

"Saving the world doesn't give us much time for personal stuff," replies Kim. Buffy winces. Certainly is a sore spot for all of them. Kim tosses something at Buffy, who instinctively catches it. "It's that souvenir I promised you, the one from Venice."

Buffy blinks, looking down at the small bag in her hand.

"When you coming back next time Red?" asks Faith. She's sitting on a statue bench and kicking her feet back and forth.

Kim grins, tossing something at Faith.

"Next time there's a breather in saving the day."

Faith blinks in mock surprise.

"Do days like that actually exist?"

Kim laughs.

"Sometimes." Kim starts walking to a clearing with the others.

"Hey," calls Buffy, halting the retreating team. "I'm sorry, for…" Buffy bites her lip, looking down at her feet. Kim smiles. She pulls out another item and tosses it at Buffy, hitting the blond on the top of her head.

"If I hadn't already forgiven you, I would have left your present behind."

Kim waves before turning away again. Buffy bends down to pick up the item. Wrapped in a tattered cloth is a silver bracelet. There is a small rectangular dangling from one end, and etched into it is BFF. The surface is scratched and tarnished, but on the underside of the charm you can barely make out a B and K.

Faith comes up behind her and slaps her on the back, earning a glare from the blond.

"What's that B?"

Buffy pulls out the bracelet and lets it dangle in front of her for a moment.

"Something I never should have thrown away in the first place," she answers. She pockets the bracelet and turns to catch Kim and the others as they wink out of sight. She sighs, but there's a small grin tugging on her lips. "Come on, lets get back. It's been a quiet night."

-----A week later in Blackmarket-----

"Wiz, time for phase two," says Kim. She begins pushing buttons on her watch as Shego, Ron, and Yori walk into the room. They all lift an eyebrow as Kim changes into Jay. When he catches sight of them, he grins. "Hey."

Shego frowns, walking over to look up into Jay's brown eyes.

"What exactly are you doing?" she asks. "You said we had to wait for Wiz to gather information before we could head out."

Jay grins, darting forward to steal a quick kiss.

"That we do baby doll. I just have a couple more surprises for Betty, as well as some unfinished contracts that I'm getting asked about."

Ron and Yori exchange glances.

"Hey," says Ron, stepping forward. "Why don't you let us handle the contracts? That way, you can focus on getting Director back."

Jay gives Ron and Yori and appreciative smile.

"I know you're offering cause you know I don't exactly like the killing part of my job, but I can't let you guys take the brunt of the work." He reaches out and begins filling his pockets with gadgets. "Actually, two of the contracts I have to do myself anyway. You can take care of five, six, six, nine, the Gollenger contract, and the…" Jay rifles through a folder on the table. He grins and pulls something out. He holds it out to Ron. "And here's eight, five, seven, two, the Vendin contract. I'm sure you'll both enjoy those."

Ron takes the paper and examines it. He lifts an eyebrow and lets out a low whistle.

"I've been meaning to test out this guy's skills," says Ron. He grins. Yori is reading over the blond's shoulder. Her eyes sparkle.

"Ah, a chance out our school's rival, the senior teacher Vendin." She grins. "You can most definitely count me in for that."

Jay grins.

"Thought you two might like those."

"And me?" asks Shego. Jay's smile falters a moment. To hide it, he leans in and gives her a peck on the cheek.

"I have to leave you here for the first two contracts. After I'm finished with those, I'll come back and we can go stir up some trouble for Betty."

Shego frowns, crossing her arms and glaring at Jay.

"Why can't I come along? I am a villainess."

Jay smiles tenderly, a look none of them had seen on his face before. He leans forward and presses his forehead against hers. He reaches up to curl her black hair around his finger.

"Baby doll, I would love to take you, but these contracts require a solo operative." He holds up another folder. "It's even specifically requested I come alone." He smiles gently at her, gently tracing her jaw. His stomach twists in a knot, and his face briefly scrunches up in a frown. He smooths it into a grin before Shego can see it. "I know you're trying to help out and get into the swing of things, but at the moment, I don't have anything that so adequately fits your talents."

Ron, Wiz, and Yori are all watching with worried frowns. The only time Jay gets serious is when…

"So I wait." Shego grits her teeth, wanting to lean further into Jay. How many times had he taken off without her? How many times had Kimmie? In both forms, it seemed like she saw less and less of her Pumpkin. She had been able to accompany him on everything but missions and contracts. It was like he was purposefully avoiding taking her along, for whatever reasons. It doesn't help that the amount of contracts and missions keeps growing. Sometimes she wonders if he gets more then two or three hours of sleep a night. "Why must you finish all of these so soon? They don't give you a specific time frame."

Jay shifts slightly, eyes darting to Wiz and Ron. Both of them return the gaze with equally level frowns. Jay pushes away slightly so he can look down at Shego.

"There's just some other stuff I foresee coming up. I need to finish these before they get in the way or I can't complete them."

"Can't complete them?" echoes Shego. She frowns. "Pumpkin, your contracts have tripled over the last couple weeks. I know there's inflation in this business, but even that doesn't explain why you're suddenly taking them all and running with them. You're usually less anxious."

Jay grins, reaching out to pinch Shego's cheeks.

"Aw, honey bun, you're so cute when you're moody." He dodges her aggravated swing, chuckling as he grabs a bag and slings it over his shoulder. He starts heading for the door, but as he passes Shego, he whips an arm around her waist and yanks her into a quick kiss. He lets go just as quickly. He grins and walks out the door, raising his hand in a last farewell. "See you all when I get back."

They watch him go in silence, all of them feeling the weight of the tension in the room.

------In an unknown city at night------

Jay crouches on the building's fire escape in silence. He catches the conversation in his ear piece from the building across the street.

"We don't have time to dilly dally," says a low voice. "People are beginning to suspect something is up. Our funds have tripled in the last month at an abnormal rate. If we keep this up, they'll investigate and you'll get kicked out of the running."

A calm voice answers, the owner of that voice staring out the window.

"Not to worry. We've begun funneling funds into a different account for different… uses. Soon enough, our funds will be back at their normal rate and we will slip right under the radar."

"Are you sure? I hear there's already been some investigating. Marks thought someone might have already put out a bid."

The second voice laughs.

"Let them. They can't touch me. I have the best security a man can afford. I've also got the best trained agents at my disposal."

The first man sneers.

"You mean that GJ establishment? They're a joke."

The second man rounds on the first, stalking very close to him.

"GJ may be many things, but I've put a lot of money into it to make sure it's a well honed weapon. You would be wise not to criticize the organization that has kept you from acting like a real body guard."

"Right, I apologize. They'll do splendidly."

The second man turns to the window again, dismissing the whole incident.

"At any rate, I have heard some troubling news of an upstart in the Blackmarket."

"An upstart?" asks the first man.

"Yes. Supposedly there's a young man out there making a name for himself. Apparently he's doing a rather decent job of it too."

"Aren't there a lot of villains making names for themselves down there?"

"Of course, it is the Blackmarket after all. However, it seems this upstart isn't quite the usual cut. He's rather particular about his assignments and his selection is always a matter of intrigue." The first man wanders back into the room out of sight. "I'm wondering if I should introduce him to of some of my more particular agents."

Jay frowns.

He rolls forward and off the fire escape. A hiss sounds above his head. He looks up to see a face grinning down at him. Jay frowns. He shoots a grapple at another building. It takes hold of the edge of a balcony, and Jay swings down to land safely on the ground. The figure above him leaps off the fire escape and free falls all the way down to the ground. It lands with a heavy thud.

"So, you must be one of his 'particular' agents," remarks Jay. He pulls out his sword, quickly removing the disc sheath. The being in front of him lifts itself from its crouch, its head cocking at an odd angle to the side. Its arms hang loosely in front of it, its tongue lolling outside its mouth. "And here I'd thought they'd make something with half a brain," says Jay. He dashes forward and swings his sword in a tight arc.

The creature leaps away and onto the wall, clinging to it like a frog. Jay lifts an eyebrow as the creature turns its head upside down and looks at Jay with all four of its eyes. It springs backwards and straight at Jay. Jay leaps to the side, barely avoiding the creatures four long bone claws extending out of the back of its hands. Jay swings down, managing to catch the creature's thumb when the creature swings an arm at him.

Jay ducks the creature's other arm, crouching down and lunging forward to thrust his sword into the thing's stomach. The creature yowls, batting Jay away from it. Jay is thrown into a wall. He quickly recovers his feet, mind slightly boggled at the strength of the beast. He sighs heavily, readjusting his grip on his sword.

He charges forward, sword dancing in tight loops. The creature dodges a few of them, but a lot of deep slashes appear on its thick blue hide. It rolls its head in the other direction, jaw dropping open to reveal four rows of sharp teeth. Its head snaps forward, jaws narrowly missing Jay's shoulder. Jay drops down and back, eyes locked on the creature.

"What the hell have they been making?" he murmurs. It was like no demon he'd fought, nor anything else he fought, either in this world or another. Jay snorts, ducking another wild swing from the beast. "If I don't end this soon, I can't get back to my world and my baby doll." He rams his shoulder into the creatures gut, sending the thing reeling. "So, 'fraid it's time to die." Jay thrusts his sword deep into the creatures eye.

It screams, limbs whipping around. Jay twists his sword, making sure to keep the thing pinned beneath him. It yowls, its struggles growing more frantic. Jay growls in irritation. What did it take to kill this thing?! He yanks his sword out then whirls it around and brings it down on the creatures open neck. The body immediately goes limp, head rolling away a little ways.

Jay sighs in relief. He wipes the blood off his sword and sheaths it. Running an agitated hand through his hair, he decides to make his own contract. It wouldn't do for creatures like that to run around and harm innocent people. He shoots his grapple at the building across from him, letting it reel him up to the floor the man's office had been at.

Jay enters the building cautiously, ears and eyes alert for any type of warning. He passes through the hallways in silence, muscles tensed for fight or flight. He comes to the right office, the light spilling out form beneath the door. He reaches for the handle.

"Hey there boy."


	14. Death's Stare

(Jay's POV)

Damn it!

He laughs. He always laughs. It's never out loud. No, it's always quiet, with his eyes. His eyes always laugh. I can't blame him. I want to blame him, but I can't. He has every right to laugh. I can't begrudge it because there's no way to wipe it off his face.

I clutch my cracked ribs, blood pouring down my face, from my lips, my nose… Bruises are starting to form over my eye, my cheeks, and my jaw. My right arm is hanging uselessly at my side, dislocated. I can hardly keep my feet, my ankle screaming at me. I swear the world is trying to spin and fall out beneath me. If I wasn't so terrified of the meeting it would cause, I would run for aid. With him, I always run. I always lose.

I had a feeling he would come. I was pretty sure it would be soon because he never leaves me alone for too long, just long enough to finally get fully recovered so he can come trash me again. It's always the same. Ever since that first meeting, I'm terrified of his eyes being trained upon my back. They always are, even if he's never there. I can always feel him breathing down my neck.

I always put up my best fight. How can I not? If I didn't, he would outright kill me. It's a given. He only keeps me alive as a toy, a bit of entertainment. Maybe, in some sick way, this is his way of training me. Sometimes, I'm never sure. But I am sure I could die. Every time we meet, I could end up taking my last breath. But as always, something, I don't know what, makes him hold off. He always looks at me with that lazy smirk and those laughing eyes, and walks off. He always has a bullet ready too. He always leaves a bullet.

No, he doesn't just toss the thing at me or leave it on the ground as a gift. He gives the gift right into my body. He always shoots me somewhere, and it's always somewhere new. I'm starting to think it's a game. It's his way of saying "you have until I finally get to your heart before your chances are up". And he fires. And it burns. It aches. It nearly drives me crazy 'cause he just watches my face writhe in pain. Then he walks out. Just like he his now. He just leaves, and I'm left trying to clutch at the new bullet wound in my thigh, my ribs forgotten.

Ugh, I can't keep my feet anymore. I'm sliding to the floor. It feels like I can barely breathe, and my ribs scream each time I inhale and exhale. The world is really spinning now, and I'm starting to wonder how much blood I have lost this time. It doesn't matter. If I don't get help soon, there won't be any reason to hold any more of that precious red liquid in. It would be useless in a corpse, after all.

I manage to force my hand away from my searing bullet wound and into view of my face. Damn it, how I'm going to regret this. She doesn't know yet. I haven't told her about these meetings.

Mac and Wiz are still furious they can't seem to find a way to keep us apart. Hey, it wasn't for lack of trying on their part, or for my lack of wanting on mine. He just out fools us, out thinks us. He seems to know everything, everything but that I'm actually a redheaded hero. He still doesn't know that, and I will keep it that way. Even still, I will catch hell for this. I won't live it down, and she won't let me. I actually fear her trying to get revenge. It wouldn't end pretty. And I still can't decide if that's because of her awesome powers or his.

"Call, Wiz." I wait for the screen to flash to life. One look at me and Wiz's face pales. His eyes narrow and his lips compress into a tight line. He hisses out a strained breath, trying desperately to calm himself. "Wiz…"

I can't say more. I don't really need to. He knows. He can tell by now what that man can do to me, what his handy-work looks like. It's happened too often for it not to be obvious. Heck, no one else has ever beaten me this bloody, not even her. Maybe she hasn't because she has always possibly had a little thing for me, but still. Not even she's capable of doing this to me, even if she's only incapable because she's holding back.

"We're on our way," he says sharply. My eyelids droop. He hisses again. "Stay awake!" he booms through the connection. I flinch, my eyes popping open. Last time I had passed out, I almost didn't wake up. He wouldn't let that happen again. He growls softly, taking in my pale face and blood matted hair. He shakes his head. "Damn it! I need both hands to drive! You! You talk to him! Keep him awake at all costs!"

I manage enough energy to roll my eyes. A gasp brings my attention back to the screen.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU?!"

Wiz, giving HER the phone wasn't such a brilliant move. I sigh, wincing as I earn a sharp twinge from my cracked ribs. Yeah, I'm pretty certain they're cracked. He usually leaves them that way.

"Hey babe," I say, barely managing to get it above a whisper. She looks furious and frantic all at the same time. It isn't a look I'm used to. Those eyes hold more emotion then I've ever seen from her.

"What happened?!" she demands again.

"Can we talk about it later, sweetie?" I ask, having a severely hard time getting my words past my sticky lips. "Just… talk with me."

"I am talking!" she growls, and I can spot tears filling her eyes. "I'm demanding answers!"

I give her a broken chuckle, face scrunched up in pain.

"Listen sweetie, I really can't think straight enough to answer that right. You have to help me out here."

Her brow creases deeply in pain.

"Pumpkin, you're scaring me shitless. What the hell happened?"

"Babe, I'm seriously serious. Ask me later. Just… talk with me. Just talk."

She bites her lip. I watch her, and I swear she'll start bleeding if she bites just a little bit harder. Those tears are really close to falling. I wish I could wipe them away. I decide to tell her so.

"Baby, those tears aren't really you," I say lightly. Comes out more breathless, really. "I can't exactly wipe them away at the moment."

She turns away from the screen for a moment, and I find myself biting my own lip. As soon as she looks back, I regret having said anything. The tears are falling down those smooth cheeks, and lord, how I wish she was green right then. Yeah, I want my girlfriend to be her normal self. I miss the sight of her green eyes and black hair. Though I know who it is, it's still hard to look at a blue eyed blond. No wonder she has issues with me as Jay. It's probably the only thing keeping her from going off on a mad killing spree right now.

"Pumpkin…" She chokes on her words. Pain shoots through my chest, and it isn't from my ribs.

"Babe, I'm okay. It's happened before. I'll be fine. I'm always fine."

Her eyes grow wide.

"It's happened before?!"

Okay, note to brain, stop being stupid from pain and think!

"Uh…"

"Yes, it's happened before," says Mac from somewhere behind her. She growls, looking suddenly vicious.

"How many times before?" she asks dangerously. Oh, Mac, I swear, if you value your life, you won't answer that. She'll go berserk.

"It doesn't matter," cuts in Wiz, thankfully staving off anything that could have happened. "He needs medical attention, pronto. Until we know he's alive and well, save the questions for later." His voice brooks no argument, and Mania looks at me with sad eyes.

"How you holding up?" she asks softly.

"Not bad," I answer, my breath short. "Have certainly felt better." I wince again as another jolt of pain shoots through my body. "Hey baby doll, can you do me a favor?" I ask.

"What's that?"

"Tell me a story." I have a hard time keeping her face in focus, eyes blinking rapidly over my dry eyes. I still manage to catch the flabbergasted look on her face.

"A story?" She scratches her cheek, eyes looking anywhere but at mine. "Wouldn't that, uh, put you to sleep?"

I manage the best smile I can, which actually makes her wince instead of relax.

"It will help keep me attentive. I'm falling asleep quite well on my own."

She frowns in worry.

"Alright. Um, a story. Uh…" She glances off screen, as if looking for help, but she doesn't get any. Her eyes turn back to me, and she swallows. "Um…"

"Babe, please… talk… I can't focus."

"Do you, uh, remember that time that Drakken and I disappeared for a few months?"

"When I was dealing… with Monkey Fist?" I ask.

"Yeah, yeah, that was about the same time. Well, see…"

I listen to her drone on. It's a soothing sound, but also captivating. It helps pull my mind from the pain and into her words. My own panic starts to settle down, for even I knew I was pretty messed up. I had to keep from worrying that they wouldn't make it in time.

After a while, I can't tell you how long because I was paying undivided attention to Mania, I could hear an echo of her voice. When I tried to focus on the odd echo, I heard the clack of footsteps. A heavy bag falls next to me on the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.

"Shit." Wiz is kneeling next to me, his hands carefully moving me onto my back. It makes pain shoot through my body, and I hear my breath wheeze in and out of my mouth. "He seriously did a number on you this time."

Mania is kneeling on the opposite side, hand hovering over my crushed one.

I can't say anything. The pain is too intense and my lungs feel like they're being squeezed shut in a vise. Mac's feet come into view.

"We need to get him to Doc," he says, rumbling voice low. He hated seeing me this way. All of them did, even Yori. The fact the beatings seem to get worse each time doesn't help matters.

"This is the last time," says Wiz through clenched teeth. He turns a burning gaze to my half focused one. "No more," he hisses. "This can't go on any more Kim! If this keeps up, he'll kill you!" I see tears in his eyes, and it stuns me. "You're barely held together! I'm through with this! You can't go wander off alone when you know he's going to come after you!"

I sigh, my mind swirling.

"We've tried that before…" I murmur, my eyes straying a little. "You've followed me everywhere. He knows…" My eyes loll back, and Wiz instinctively jams a thumb into one of my cuts. I let out a shout, my eyes snapping open. "What the hell?!" I growl, my head spinning.

"Stay awake, damn it!" He glares at me and I glare back.

"It's kinda hard to do," I grumble, unable to keep the stare under my control long.

Wiz turns a hard look on Mania.

"Keep him awake at all costs. If you have to break another bone, do it."

I roll my head slightly, vision blurry.

"Like hell! I have… plenty as it is!" I grumble. Wiz snorts.

"Fine, cause him pain. Jar a bone a bit, dig a finger in a wound. As long as it won't cause permanent damage or become lethal, use it to keep him awake."

My eyes sag closed, and Wiz flicks one of my cracked ribs. I let out a broken howl, trying to move but only succeeding in squirming around uselessly. Wiz looks back at Mania again.

"I'm not joking," he says. "If he falls asleep in this condition, it's more then likely he won't wake up." Wiz slips a thin sheet underneath of me. Pressing a button, the sheet suddenly expands and begins hovering off the ground. "Lets move."

-----hidden location in the Himalayas-----

Doc sighs, rubbing his face tiredly. It had been a long twenty four hours. Patching up Jay had been one of his hardest commissions yet. It didn't help that he had so many loyal friends that all hovered over him. They kept pestering the Doc with all their questions. He didn't have an answer for them.

Jay is a walking miracle. How the boy survives half his feats is beyond Doc. He's had Jay recount most of his missions, to get an idea what kind of wounds he was looking for. In doing so, he wondered how any human being could survive the onslaught of damage the boy seemed to take.

Doc picks up his glasses again, his grey hair falling into his eyes. Bothersome.

The boy had been rather intriguing the first time they'd met. Jay had actually been assigned as his bodyguard. Doc's research can be, at times, close to the wrong side of the law. It also comes into play that his research is a shocking stack of medical achievements that could do wonders for the public if they ever knew about him. Hence, competition or government officials wanted to either coax him under their wing or silence him. He always refused, of course. There is only one person he'll ever work for, and being around her is nearly like asking for a death wish.

Doc makes a funny face. That death wish only gets stronger when Ed is around. Ed drives all the women insane. He just doesn't have the knack for being charming or wooing. The guy drives Doc insane! He's a rambling fool far too immersed into his machines. But, because of his off the wall, blatant outgoing personality, he is still amusing to be around. Doc chuckles. A vicious cycle.

There's a knock on his door.

"Yes?" he calls, not ready to pull himself out of his chair.

The door creaks open, and Wiz is standing there.

"Hey uncle."

Doc grins, waving to a seat across from him.

"Hey my boy. How's he doing?"

Wiz grins tiredly, taking the offered seat.

"He's been about the same. Mania is still with him, passed out in the chair. I wanted to move her to the bed, but Jay is in no condition to handle that right now. One wrong move and it could jar him pretty bad."

Doc smiles.

"Did you at least make the chair into a bed? I don't need anyone complaining of neck aches because they slept in funny positions. My talent is far above that," he jokes.

Wiz grins, hand absently picking at the armrest.

"Uncle… you think you can call… her for some help?"

Doc blinks, unable to move for several seconds.

"Her?" he asks. He mentally shakes himself. "Why on earth are you asking for Her help? You know she often causes more trouble then she fixes."

Wiz scratches his cheek, eyes nervously darting around the room.

"I know. But…"

"Out with it nephew. If you were that bothered to bring it up in the first place, it must be important."

Wiz sighs, leaning back into the chair in exhaustion.

"You know this has happened before," begins Wiz. He waves a hand distractedly. "The thing you don't know, is that, only one guy is doing this to Jay."

Doc blinks.

"One man?"

"Yeah. He's a legend, a myth. He's so good at what he does, no one knows if he really exists." Wiz sits up again and shakes his head. "I've been trying to track him, to at least maybe keep Jay away from him, but all my attempts fail. If this keep up, Jay… he might not make it through next time." Wiz looks away.

Doc watches his nephew for several long moments, mind whirling with the implications.

He finally stands up and goes over to the bookshelf, aimlessly browsing the spines.

"Once She gets involved, there's no getting rid of her," he says. He absently pulls out a random book and flips through a few of the pages. "You know she'll get attached." He snaps the book closed and turns back to his nephew. "I work for her one, because I want to, but two, because she wont let me go. With her as my employer, I am safe to do my research as I please, as well as perform odd and end tasks for her in between. When it comes to Jay, Mania, and the others… you know she won't just let them walk away. She still has you under her wing."

Wiz fidgets, eyes on the floor.

"She's so damn overprotective," he grumbles. Doc hears him and chuckles, earning an embarrassed flush from Wiz. Wiz clears his throat and gets to his feet. "If I wasn't so worried about Jay, I wouldn't be asking. As it is, we need some help. I know Jay will be reluctant to ask for help from someone he doesn't know, but at this point, I'm going to force the issue."

"And if Jay still wants to face this man on his own terms?"

Wiz pauses a breath.

"If Jay really wants to face him on his own terms, he could at least get the training to defeat the guy before he does it. She can help immensely with that."

Doc smiles, crossing the room to pat Wiz on the back.

"Very well. Go get some sleep. I'll call her tonight."

Wiz smiles, shoulders slumping in relief.

"Thanks uncle."

Wiz shuffles out of the room. Doc watches the door close behind the young man. He sighs, looking upward.

"I sure hope you know what you're getting into." He goes to the bookshelf and pushes a button. Two books separate and open, revealing a computer screen. Doc carefully watches his patient for any signs of discomfort or change. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he pushes the button again and the screen closes. He plops down on the sofa. "Doc, you're one to talk. What are you getting yourself into?"

He closes his eyes for a few hours of sleep.

**A/N: **So... like it? love it? hate it? lol don't you just really really wanna know who SHE is:)


	15. Kanashimi Entrance

"She wants to meet him," says Doc, his face solemn. Wiz blinks at him.

"What? She… wants to… _meet_ him?!" Wiz pales. "Now?! But he's still recovering! She'll just-!"

"I know!" says Doc impatiently. "I know. This really isn't the best of times to introduce the two. However, she said she'd only agree if she got to meet him first."

"Did you… tell her? About… the situation?"

Doc shook his head, eyes roaming around the others crowded in the room.

"I didn't tell her anything other then I have a patient in my care who is sorely in need of some guidance. I also mentioned that he is your friend."

Wiz nods slowly.

"Good… Then… I can explain when she gets here." Wiz looks up into his uncle's face. "Did she say when she was coming?"

"She'll be here in an hour. She left shortly after I called her."

Wiz takes a step back in shock.

"An HOUR?! But you can't! She can't! Jay, he's not ready! She'll-!"

"Calm down!" orders his uncle, staring at Wiz crossly. He honestly couldn't blame the boy. First encounters with Her often end up going sour. However, he can't have the boy wigging out. He needs Wiz to have his head on straight, or else Jay might be here for an even longer period of time. He sighs and places his hand on Wiz's shoulder. "Right now, you need to go prepare for her arrival. Take them," he nods at the others, "and make sure they're prepared."

Wiz stares at him silently a moment before nodding.

"Alright. I'll make sure they're ready." Wiz glances at Mania and snorts. "I have a feeling she'll be quite intrigued by her." His eyes move to Yori. "She'll be honored to meet you." Wiz looks at Mac last. "And you…" Wiz suddenly smirks. "She's going to loooove you," he says with heavy sarcasm. Mac swallows nervously.

"W-what do you mean?" rumbles Mac. Wiz turns on his heel and begins walking out the door.

"Come on," he calls over his shoulder. "We have a lot to do before she gets here."

The three of them exchange glances before trailing after him. On her way out, Mania spares one last glance through the window at Jay. Doc watches as the blond's eyes darken for a moment in worry and then anger, then back again. Mania notices Doc's eyes on her, and she turns to give him the smallest of nods before exiting the room.

Doc sighs.

This is the most interesting and confusing group he's come across yet. And, seeing who he works for, he's come across quite a lot of interesting individuals. Doc snorts, recalling the slew of individuals who called themselves the X-men. Supposedly they were mutants, or genetically advanced people. They'd been having some problems in their world and needed some assistance.

Doc flops down into a overstuffed chair and grins.

He had inadvertently freaked all of the X-men out by requesting permission to medically examine them. He had been overly eager to try and pick apart their genetic makeup and see what had given them all their unique abilities. Sadly, they were all very adverse to the idea, practically running out of the room. The only reason they stayed was because She managed to calm them by saying he would behave, or else.

He sighs sadly.

He had hoped to get at least one tissue sample from them, but She made sure all evidence of their being here was destroyed and vice versa. Oh well, some other time.

He gets to his feet and stretches.

If he kept dillydallying, She would get here and everything would still be a mess. Which, in turn, would cause even more of a mess.

He groans. If the woman could only be a little more tolerable of his absent mindedness. Unfortunately, she likes to harp on it the most. Cursed luck. He wanders over to the window and taps on the glass in sequence of random spots. The window lights up with all of Jay's current stats. Satisfied that nothing is immediately endangering the boy, Doc taps the glass again to clear it before heading to his office.

----------------

Mania is sitting on the couch in living room. Crossing her legs and leaning back into the couch, she gazes at Wiz intently.

"Okay Nerdlinger, I think it's time you start explaining who the heck it is we're about to meet."

Scratching his head with a sigh, Wiz moves to take a seat on the couch's armrest.

"Where to begin…" he mumbles. The others frown.

"What's with this woman that she makes you so nervous?" asks Mac. He and Yori are curled up on the loveseat.

"First off, she's not from this world."

No one really looks all that surprised. Wiz rolls his eyes. Guess their group is a little unfazed by such oddities seeing as they run into so many. Mania gets impatient, tapping her fingers on her knee.

"Look, just tell us who she is already. Why are you so certain she can help?"

"Because, though she's from another world, it's a world nearly identical to ours."

"Meaning?" persists Mania.

"Meaning, we exist in her world as well, only not quite the same."

Mania frowns.

"You're saying she knows us in her own world? She knows Kimmie, you, and buffoon over there?"

Wiz shakes his head.

"Yes and no. She knows us, err, them, but we're not the same. I don't know the whole story. She doesn't discuss her past. However, from what I understand, something happened and she was warped from her world. So far, she hasn't been able to find a way back."

"I'm still not seeing the picture," grunts Mania. "So she's from a world similar to our own. She knows us, but she doesn't. That doesn't explain who she is and why she's going to make such a big difference."

"She's going to make such a big difference because since being ejected from her world, she's been traveling from world to world, training and making a name for herself. She has her fingers in everything that spans not only all through our world, but many others as well."

Mania quirks an eyebrow. "You make her sound like some sorta galaxy over ruler."

Wiz rubs his head.

"Guess she sort of is. Granted, it's not out in the open. She likes to remain in the shadows. But, she does have an extremely large amount of power and influence. I'm surprised you haven't heard of her." He scans their faces.

Mania huffs. "We might have if you'd tell us her blinkin' name!"

Wiz hesitates a moment before chuckling.

"Sorry, forgot I haven't mentioned that yet. My nerves are a little shot at the moment. She's called Kanashimi, but most people just call her Shimi."

Frowning, Yori speaks up. "Not exactly a cheerful name."

Wiz nods.

"No kidding. She doesn't seem to mind it though. Heck, knowing her, she came up with it."

Mania curses, thumping her fist into the armrest. "Damn it! HER?! Are you out of your freaking mind?! I've heard a lot of stuff about her! She puts White to shame!"

A throat clears, making their heads snap around to the door. A woman stands there dressed in all black, arms crossed over her chest.

"Talking about me?" she asks. She takes a couple steps into the room and stops close to where Wiz is seated. She scans the room, eyes lingering on Mania's face. Mania stares back, taking note of the long scar that slashes down from the woman's right ear to her left collarbone.

The woman is probably at least seven years their senior. Her snapping blue eyes are unreadable, black hair styled in a feathered out wave. There are a couple chains hanging from her belt loops and black boots on her feet.

"I thought you said I was going to be meeting with Ron, Shego, and Kimmie," she remarked, eyes moving to Wiz's. The others look at him sharply, causing him to shift under all the attention. He glances quickly at Mac and Mania.

"Go ahead, show her."

Mac hesitates then pushes a few buttons. Ron looks up again in confusion. Mania just scowls, earning a glare from Wiz.

"I don't trust her," she says flatly. Placing a hand on his shoulder, Shimi silences Wiz before he can speak.

"You must be Shego." She looks Mania up and down. "I'd recognize that attitude anywhere."

Mania growls, fingers digging into the couch. "I don't know you, hag, so don't pretend you know me."

"Hmph, as if I'd _want_ to know you. Can't believe I have to deal with this BS here too. What fucking luck." She turns to Wiz. "Where's Red?"

"Not doing so well," he murmurs. "He found her again."

Shimi immediately freezes. "You mean _Him_? How the hell did he find her here?!" she demands.

Shaking his head, Wiz shrugs helplessly.

"I dunno. He never ran into her when she wasn't in disguise. I figured it was coincidence at first. But… after this…"

"Damn it!" Shimi scowls, clicking her tongue in aggravation. "I thought for sure I'd taken care of him…" she murmurs. "Take me to her."

Wiz stands and begins leading her towards the room.

"What the hell!" booms Mania, leaping to her feet. "Don't take her there!"

Shimi's eyes snap to hers. They stare each other down, Ron, Yori, and Wiz waiting in tense silence. Mania immediately lights up, blue flames dancing up and down her arms. Shimi only lifts an eyebrow, pulling out several small throwing knives.

"You're a good fighter," comments Shimi. "However, you are not as good as me."

"Yeah?" snorts Mania. "Why don't you prove it?"

"I did once," remarks Shimi. Mania staggers slightly.

"What?"

"I did," repeats Shimi. Mania catches the glint of an emotion she never thought she'd see in someone else's eyes. She grinds her teeth. Very slowly, she smothers the blue flames. "She will be safe," Shimi says lowly, putting away her knives.

Mania hit's a button on her watch. Shego scowls at Shimi.

"She better be."

"Hmph, that's one thing I would never lie about."

Shego snorts. "Shut up and get moving." Shego starts walking in the direction Wiz had started out in. Shimi doesn't hesitate in following the green skinned woman.

Ron and Yori exchange looks before silently deciding it would be best if they remained where they were. Except…

"Ron, get your ass in here!" bellows Shimi. "I've got some questions to ask you!"

Ron flinches and meekly begins following the two women down the hall. Yori chuckles at the look on his face and reaches out to take his hand and walk beside him. Wiz briefly lets his eyes turn heaven word, muttering a small prayer before scuttling after the others.

----------------

Shimi stands frozen in the doorway. Ron, Yori, and Wiz are crowded behind her. Shego is standing next to Jay's bed, watching Shimi closely.

Swallowing, Shimi slowly enters the room and steps over to the bed. Her eyes lock onto Jay's sleeping face. Shego notices that the woman's hands are trembling.

"So… Red's underneath that face, eh?" Shimi nearly whispers.

"Yeah, that's Kimmie. Kind'a fucked up, huh?" remarks Shego.

Closing her eyes, Shimi clenches her hands tightly in hopes to get control of herself. "Shit… Nice kick to the gut." She exhales slowly.

"What exactly happened in your world?" asks Yori.

Shimi shakes her head. "It fell apart." Crossing her arms, probably to keep herself from reaching out to Jay, she stares at his sleeping face. "Guess that's a common theme though."

Shego snorts.

Silence fills the room except for the hum from the machines. Abruptly, Shimi pivots around and leaves the room. Trailing her, the others find her heading straight for Doc's office. She barges in without even knocking. Sitting at his desk with his hands clasped together, Doc seems to have been expecting them.

"I'll assume she can't change back until she's healed some, correct?" she questions.

"You'd be correct in that assumption," he answers. He sighs, taking in the dark circles under her eyes. "You really should take care of yourself better."

"It's not everyday you get to hear life altering things."

"Are you here to ask me about her, or are you here to ask me about what I know about him?"

"Neither. I want you to give me the items I requested some odd years back."

His eyes widen. "Do honestly think you'll need those?"

"Apparently not using them the first time was a mistake," she retorts. "I'm going to make sure the job is done right this time."

He sighs. "She might want to do that part herself."

She huffs. "Not this Red. My Red would, but your Red has other problems to worry about."

"So you know that something's coming?"

"Of course. Just because I'm not here all the time doesn't mean I don't keep tabs on everything. It doesn't matter though. She can argue all she wants, she'll figure out rather quickly that she doesn't have time to be chasing Him."

"Then what will she be doing?" he asks, leaning back in his chair.

"Training. She's good, I know that, but she has more training to do before she's good enough for what's coming. The others will have to train too. If you're lucky, you all might win."

Watching her closely, he leans forward again. "And you won't help us to ensure that victory?"

She looks away to the monitor keeping track of Jay's condition. "By that time, I might not be around to help out."

"You're going to fight him alone?"

She grunts. "If I don't, someone else might end up like me. I refuse to let it be Red."

"Tch, you'll never get home with an attitude like that," he says flippantly, waving a dismissing hand at her.

She whips her foot into the air and slams it down on the edge of his desk, making Ron jump. "With an attitude like that, you'll never make it to tomorrow."

He smirks at her. "And yet I still manage to."

Her lips twitch. "You're just damn lucky you're so good at what you do."

He laughs. "No doubt! I'd have been dead ages ago." Pushing his chair back, he stands up and walks around his desk. "By the way, Bonnie's been asking about you."

Shimi grimaces. "Oh hell… You better not have told her I was going to be here."

"KANASHIMI BANKS! Get your ass over here!" bellows a voice from the doorway. As soon as the others spot whose standing in the doorway, their eyes nearly bug out of their heads. Shimi sighs darkly.

"Damn it…" She glares at Doc. "I'll definitely kill you for this one."

"Only if she doesn't kill you first," he replies with a grin.


End file.
